Black- and LGBTQ-themed indie masterpiece Moonlight surprised many industry insiders on Tuesday by picking up 8 Academy Award nominations, tying Arrival, and being surpassed only by the 14 of hometown Hollywood favorite La La Land. The announcement puts Moonlight‘s Barry Jenkins in the Oscar history books—he’s now the first black Best Director nominee to also be nominated for Best Picture and Best Screenplay. The powerful and beautiful film, about a black gay youth growing up in Miami’s impoverished Liberty City neighborhood, is based on a semi-autobiographical play by acclaimed writer Tarell Alvin McCraney. On Thursday, Moonlight also swept the Dorian Awards, bestowed annually by the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA), winning five trophies including both Film of the Year and LGBTQ Film of the Year (see sidebar).
We spoke with film reporter Tre’vell Anderson, who covers queer and black movies for the Los Angeles Times, about Moonlight’s broad appeal, its stunning success, and what this may mean for the future of films about LGBTQ lives of color.
Read the full article here.
