MOONLIGHT FILM

Moonlight is a 2016 American coming-of-age drama that chronicles the life of a young, African-American man, Chiron, across three pivotal stages of his life in Miami. The film is an adaptation of Tarell Alvin McCraney's unpublished semi-autobiographical play, "In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue." It was written and directed by Barry Jenkins and produced by Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner. The story explores the protagonist's journey as he grapples with his identity, sexuality, and place in the world while facing emotional and physical abuse.

The narrative is presented in a triptych structure, following Chiron as a child (Alex Hibbert), an adolescent (Ashton Sanders), and an adult (Trevante Rhodes). The film is set in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, a place where both Jenkins and McCraney grew up, though at different times. This shared background, which included mothers struggling with drug addiction, created a deep connection between the writer and director. The film's distributor is A24, and it premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2016 before its U.S. theatrical release in October 2016. Moonlight was produced with a budget of approximately $1.5–4 million and achieved significant commercial success, grossing over $65 million worldwide.

The film received widespread critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay for Jenkins and McCraney, and Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali, who portrays a complex and caring drug dealer named Juan. The score, by Nicholas Britell, is a distinctive feature, utilizing a "chopped and screwed" technique on orchestral music to reflect Chiron's emotional development. Through its intimate and poetic portrayal of masculinity, family, and love, Moonlight is considered a vital and groundbreaking piece of cinema that offers a nuanced portrait of contemporary African-American life.

Keywords: coming-of-age drama, Barry Jenkins, Tarell Alvin McCraney, identity, sexuality, black masculinity, Miami, A24, Best Picture, Mahershala Ali, self-discovery, human connection, LGBTQ cinema, independent film, character study, social issues, cinematic storytelling, film adaptation, art house film, race