The young Chiron (played by, in order, Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes) spent his entire life in Florida's bad neighborhoods without postcard-perfect views, sun-kissed beaches, broad streets or smiling people. Jenkins portrays a land far removed from images associated with Miami Vice, where communities teem with bullies, small-time crooks, dealers and street gangs. Chiron stands no chance against them and while he goes all-out to avoid it, trouble always manages to find him. When he grows up, however, he realizes his real struggle is not with these places or people, but the internal fight with his feelings for his only friend. Moonlight is a coming-of-age story unlike any other, rooted in the passage of time, unusually sensual but directed with a steady hand. "The Guardian" called Jenkins's work a bold and uniquely told film about the struggle to accept one's own sexuality [that] is both heartbreaking and deeply relevant.
Academy Awards, USA 2017 - Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Adapted Screenplay
Barry Jenkins was born in Miami and lives in San Francisco. Before making his feature-length debut, he worked at Banana Republic. "Filmmaker" magazine named him to its 25 New Faces of independent film list. His debut, Medicine for Melancholy, won prizes at festivals in Sarasota and San Francisco, as well as three Independent Spirit Awards. "The New York Times" renowned film critic A.O. Scott described Jenkins as unusually exciting. Jenkins's second film, Moonlight, produced by Brad Pitt, has screened at festivals in Telluride, Toronto and New York.
2003 My Josephine (short)
2003 Little Brown Boy (short)
2008 Medicine for Melancholy
2016 Moonlight