Moonlight

Moonlight is a 2016 American coming-of-age drama film directed and written by Barry Jenkins, based on Tarell Alvin McCraney's unpublished semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight, Black Boys Look Blue. The film follows the main character through three stages of his life: childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. It delves into his struggles with his sexuality and identity, as well as the physical and emotional abuse he endured as a child.

Moonlight has been dubbed one of the best films of the twenty-first century. At the 89th Academy Awards, the film won Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Ali, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Jenkins and McCraney, out of a total of eight nominations. It was the first LGBTQ film, the first with an all-black cast, and the second-lowest-grossing film domestically (behind The Hurt Locker) to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Joi McMillon became the first black woman to be nominated for an Oscar for editing, and Ali became the first Muslim to win an Oscar for acting.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Barry Jenkins

Starring: Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe

Release dates: September 2, 2016

Running time: 111 minutes