Barry Jenkins' "Medicine for Melancholy" and the Phenomenon of "Moonlight"

Barry Jenkins made his first feature Medicine for Melancholy in 2008 with only US$15,000 borrowed from a friend and the film grossed only US$111,551 from selected cinemas.

Fast forward to 2016, he had only less than US$1.6m to make his second feature Moonlight that has become a phenomenal success, winning several of the most coveted awards in motion picture, including the Best Motion Picture prize for drama at the 74th Golden Globe Awards; got eight Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards and winning Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Ali, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Jenkins and McCraney. The film is the first all-black cast and LGBT film to win Best Picture, and the second lowest-grossing film domestically (behind The Hurt Locker) to win the award. The film's editor, Joi McMillon, became the first black woman to be nominated for an editing Oscar (alongside co-editor Nat Sanders),and Ali became the first Muslim to win an acting Oscar. "Moonlight" has grossed over US$28m so far.