Which independent film won Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards?

Moonlight won Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards. Barry Jenkins’s intimate coming-of-age drama prevailed at the ceremony honoring films released in 2016.

The film follows Chiron at three stages of his life in Miami, exploring identity, masculinity, sexuality, family, and belonging. It was adapted from Tarell Alvin McCraney’s unpublished semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. The film was produced independently by A24 and Plan B Entertainment, making its Oscar triumph especially notable for a quiet, character-driven production.

Moonlight won three Oscars overall: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Its victory became part of Oscar history because it was the first film with an all-Black cast and the first film centered on LGBT themes to win Best Picture.

The result is often remembered because La La Land was initially announced as the winner after presenters received the wrong envelope. The mistake was corrected during the live broadcast, and Moonlight’s producers were formally recognized as the winners. La La Land still led the night with six awards.