After the success of his previous film , Jenkins wrote an epic for Focus Features about " Stevie Wonder and time travel " and an adaptation of the James Baldwin novel '' If Beale Street Could Talk '' , neither of which initially entered production . He later worked as a carpenter and co-founded an advertising company called Strike Anywhere . In 2011 , he wrote and directed '' Remigration '' , a sci-fi short film about gentrification . Jenkins became a writer for HBO 's '' The Leftovers '' , about which he commented , " I did n't get to do much . " Jenkins directed and co-wrote , with Tarell Alvin McCraney , the 2016 drama '' Moonlight '' , his first feature film in eight years . The film was shot in Miami and premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2016 to vast critical acclaim and awards buzz . A. O. Scott of '' The New York Times '' wrote : " '' Moonlight '' dwells on the dignity , beauty and terrible vulnerability of black bodies , on the existential and physical matter of black lives . " '' Variety '' wrote : " Barry Jenkins ' vital portrait of a South Florida youth revisits the character at three stages in his life , offering rich insights into the contemporary African-American experience . " David Sims of '' The Atlantic '' wrote : " Like all great films , '' Moonlight '' is both specific and sweeping . It ’s a story about identity — an intelligent , challenging work . " The film won dozens of accolades , including the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture – Drama and the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards . Jenkins and McCraney also won Best Adapted Screenplay and overall , the film received eight Oscar nominations , including Best Director
89th Academy Awards
89th Academy Awards
Barry Jenkins