BEIJING, June 27-- When¨Ray〃 star Jamie Foxx won a best actor Oscar in February, he shouted out,¨wow, wow, wow, wow!〃 Now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is offering him another wow-worthy honor: membership in the organization.

The Academy announced Friday that it had invited Foxx and 111 other notables within the film community to join in 2005.

That number, down from 150 in past years, represented the Academyˇs new goal of selectivity to slow its growth, said spokesman John Pavlik.

This yearˇs crop spans the gamut from¨Bewitched〃 comedian Will Ferrell to Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal(¨The Motorcycle Diaries〃).

Thirty-three Oscar nominees were asked, including actors Clive Owen(¨Closer〃) and Thomas Haden Church(¨Sideways〃), actresses Sophie Okonedo(¨Hotel Rwanda〃) and Catalina Sandino Moreno(¨Maria Full of Grace〃), and screenwriter Paul Haggis(¨Million Dollar Baby〃).

Committees representing the Academyˇs 14 branches, including film editors, producers and art directors, propose and vote on would-be members before leaving final say to the Board of Governors.

Oscar nominees, if not already a part of the Academy, are automatically considered, though not necessarily invited to join.

New members will be inducted into the Academy at an invitation-only reception Sept. 21. Enditem

(Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)