The National Puerto Rican Coalition (NPRC) and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA) today denounce the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science (AMPAS) for discriminating against the Puerto Rico film industry by expelling them from entry into the Foreign Language Film category.

In a letter from AMPAS Executive Director Bruce Davis to the Puerto Rico Film Commission, he indicated that Puerto Rican film professionals are considered “home grown” and that by continuing to allow Puerto Rico entry into the category “other filmmakers around the world, as well as audiences, might be inclined to think that favoritism had played a greater role than artistry in the selection.”