Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Femi Odugbemi have been invited into the voting membership of the Oscar awards, also known as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The academy organises and decides the nominations for the universally-acclaimed Oscars award for motion pictures.

The actress and the filmmaker’s names were released in the new list of 928 members released by the academy.

Omotola was recognised for her work in ‘Last Flight to Abuja’ and ‘A Private Storm’.

Academy membership is limited to film artists working in the production of theatrically-released motion pictures.

The academy has 17 branches ranging from actors, writers and two categories that involve members-at-large and associates to accommodate individuals who have no defined branches in motion picture.

An elated Odugbemi shared the news of his invitation into the academy on Monday.

He wrote: “So today, I received a formal invitation to become a voting member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the United States. Honoured!”

Odugbemi, who studied film and television at The Montana State University, has scripted, directed and produced numerous documentaries, short films and drama.

He produced Tinsel, a widely acclaimed soap opera that started airing in August 2008.

The producer’s filmmaking credits include ‘Gidi Blues’, ‘Battleground’, ‘Maroko’ and ‘Bariga Boy’.

Odugbemi was the president of the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN) in 2002, a tenure that ended in 2006.

The two other Nigerians invited include Wunmi Mosaku, a film producer, and Ngozi Onwurah, a director.

Mosaku is a Nigerian-born British actress who won the 2017 BAFTA TV Award for best supporting actress for her role as Gloria Taylor in the TV film ‘Damilola, Our Loved Boy’.

Onwurah is a Nigerian-born British producer, director and lecturer who won the best short film at the Melbourne Film Festival, Australia and best documentary at the Montreal Film Festival, Canada for ‘The Body Beautiful’.