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Barry Jenkins

Highest Rated: 98% Moonlight (2016)

Lowest Rated: 85% Medicine for Melancholy (2008)

Birthday: Nov 19, 1979

Birthplace: Miami, Florida, USA

Filmmaker Barry Jenkins explored issues of race, culture and sexuality in well-regarded independent drama "Medicine for Melancholy" (2008) and critical hit "Moonlight" (2016). Born November 19, 1979 in Miami, Florida, he was raised, along with his three brothers, in the Liberty Square neighborhood of Liberty City. His childhood was marked by turmoil: his father died shortly before separating from his mother and declaring that Jenkins was not his biological son, while his mother struggled with drug addiction and left him to be raised by another woman. Jenkins survived his tumultuous upbringing, and excelled at football at Miami Northwestern Senior High School. From there, he attended Florida State University, where on a whim, he signed up for the school's film program. There, he met and befriended fellow students Adele Romanski and James Laxton, who would later serve as producer and cinematographer, respectively, on "Moonlight." After directing several short films at Florida State, Jenkins directed his first feature, the independent romantic drama "Medicine for Melancholy" (2008). The film received excellent reviews and numerous nominations from national film festivals and awards, but was followed by a five-year period in which he developed several feature projects that never came to fruition. To support himself, Jenkins co-founded an advertising and content studio and wrote for drama series "The Leftovers" (HBO 2015- ). He eventually found his next project with "In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue," a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, a fellow Liberty City resident who had attended elementary and middle school with Jenkins, though the pair never knew each other. In 2013, he began production on a film version, "Moonlight," a multi-part drama that follows a young African-American boy through three phases of his life, during which he explores issues of family, addiction and sexuality. The drama was among the most critically praised releases of 2016, netting numerous award nominations, including Golden Globe nods for Best Drama and Director. In a surprise upset over musical romance "La La Land" (which was mistakenly announced as the winner during the ceremony), "Moonlight" won the Oscar for Best Picture; Jenkins shared the Best Adapted Screenplay award with McCraney.

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Highest rated movies

98% 79% Moonlight Watchlist 96% The Fire Inside Watchlist 95% 68% If Beale Street Could Talk Watchlist 95% 81% Aftersun Watchlist 90% 61% All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt Watchlist
85% 65% Medicine for Melancholy
Watchlist
Little Brown Boy
Watchlist
Chlorophyl
Watchlist
King's Gym
Watchlist
My Josephine
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
96% No Score Yet The Fire Inside Screenwriter,
Producer
- 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mufasa: The Lion King Director - 2024
90% 61% All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt Producer - 2023
95% 81% Aftersun Producer - 2022
95% 68% If Beale Street Could Talk Director,
Screenwriter,
Producer
$14.9M 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chlorophyl Director,
Screenwriter
- 2017
98% 79% Moonlight Director,
Screenwriter
$27.9M 2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet King's Gym Director - 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Young Couple Director,
Screenwriter,
Film Editing
- 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tall Enough Director,
Screenwriter
- 2009
85% 65% Medicine for Melancholy Director,
Screenwriter
$110.9K 2008
No Score Yet No Score Yet My Josephine Director,
Screenwriter
- 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet Little Brown Boy Director,
Screenwriter
- 2003

TV

Credit
79% 59% True Detective Executive Producer 2024
94% 76% The Underground Railroad Executive Producer 2021
No Score Yet 61% Late Night With Seth Meyers Guest 2021
No Score Yet 50% The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Guest 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet They've Gotta Have Us Guest 2018
88% 38% Dear White People Director 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tavis Smiley Guest 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter Guest 2017