Aspiring Filmmaker Taylor Swift Invited to Join Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Taylor Swift could soon be joining yet another illustrious group, with the pop star (and aspiring filmmaker) among those invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year.

Swift was among 398 artists and executives invited the join the ranks of the Academy. Specifically, she was part of a cohort of musicians and songwriters that also included David Byrne, the Weeknd, and the most recent Best Original Song Oscar winners, Chandrabose and M.M. Keeravaani (who wrote “Naatu Naatu” for RRR).

Swift hasn’t yet won or been nominated for an Oscar, but such honors aren’t a prerequisite for joining the Academy. “Membership selection is based on professional qualifications, with an ongoing commitment to representation, inclusion and equity,” the Academy said. And for Swift, those contributions primarily include the songs she’s written for film soundtracks, like “Safe and Sound” for The Hunger Games, “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” for Fifty Shades Darker, “Beautiful Ghosts” for Cats, and “Carolina” for Where the Crawdads Sing.

But Swift’s also been involved with various movies as an actor, too, picking up roles in Cats, the animated version of The Lorax, and David O. Russell’s 2022 historical drama Amsterdam. And, of course, she notably has eyes on screenwriting and directing: She’s been regularly directing her music videos over the past few years and helmed All Too Well: The Short Film to coincide with the release of Red (Taylor’s Version). At the end of last year, it was announced that Swift would make her feature-length directorial debut based on an original script she wrote (additional details about the project are still under wraps).

This year’s list of Academy invitees included plenty of other big names. Austin Butler, Kerry Condon, Stephanie Hsu, and Paul Mescal — all nominated for acting Oscars this year — were invited, as was Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan. Other invited performers included Keke Palmer, Bill Hader, Nicholas Hoult, Selma Blair, Noémie Merlant, Paul Reiser, and Dolly De Leon. 

From Rolling Stone US.