MINARI Cast and Crew among New Academy Awards Voters

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) revealed its roster of new members this year, which included actors Youn Yuhjung, Han Yeri and Steven Yeun, director Lee Isaac Chung, as well as several crew members of Minari, and animation directors Erick Oh (Opera, 2020) and Kim Sungho (Red Shoes, 2019). AMPAS members are the voting body for the Academy Awards, where both Minari and Opera were nominees this year.

Minari, the story of Korean immigrants who move to Arkansas in the late 1980s to start a farm, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival to acclaim last year and kept its momentum alive right up until the Academy Awards, where it was nominated for six awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Best Score. 

Youn Yuhjung made history when she won the Best Supporting Actress Award, making her the first Korean performer awarded at the Oscars. Also joining the AMPAS ranks from Minari are producer Christina Oh and editor Harry Yoon.

Erick Oh, known for acclaimed animated shorts such as Symphony (2009) and How to Paint Your Rainbow (2018) was nominated for Best Animated Short at the Oscars last year for his latest work Opera.

A veteran CG animator who has worked on notable Korean films such as Wonderful Days (2003), Hong Sungho debuted as a feature director on Red Shoes (aka Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs), an English-language but Korean-made animated film.