Huge congratulations to Barry Jenkins and the entire cast and crew of Moonlight on their three Oscar wins! (Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role)

Barry Jenkins first visited Northwest Film Forum in February 2009 to present his debut feature Medicine for Melancholy (watch that Q&A here!). Charles Mudede called it a masterpiece and “the most important film by a black American director since To Sleep with Anger.” On the precipice of a new decade in December 2009, NWFF’s program director at the time, Adam Sekuler named Jenkins one of ten filmmakers to watch in 2010-2020. We’re going to go ahead and extend that call to the next decade. Jenkins also directed a one shot film commissioned by Northwest Film Forum. It’s available to watch on Fandor.

Barry Jenkins was kind enough to record this video advocating for our mission, and fondly recounting a trip to Seattle to see Lucrecia Martel’s The Headless Woman at the Forum (screening nowhere else on the west coast).

“For me, Northwest Film Forum is the perfect embodiment of what an independent film organization can do to empower a filmmaking community.” – Barry Jenkins