Oscar-winning ‘Moonlight’ shines on Miami’s Liberty City

MIAMI — Oscar-winning film “Moonlight” presents a view of Miami that never shows up in a tourism video.

“The best thing about this movie is they actually went into the projects and shot it, and they let kids from around Liberty City be in it,” said Kamal Ani-Bello, a freshman at Miami Northwestern Senior High School who had a role as an extra in the film.

“Moonlight” won the Academy Award on Sunday night for best picture, best supporting actor and best adapted screenplay.

Jenkins graduated from the same high school and had roots in a public housing project nicknamed “Pork & Beans” familiar to many students.

Natalie Baldie, artistic director of the Performing and Visual Arts Center at Miami Northwestern, said she hopes the movie and its awards give students another perspective about getting out of Liberty City or going to college.

Two young actors featured prominently in the film, Alex Hibbert and Jaden Piner, are Norland students, and about a dozen others were extras in the film.