Introduced by director Barry Jenkins.

The debut film by Barry Jenkins – acclaimed director of the critically adored Moonlight (released 17th February) – owes much to the low-key mannerisms of mumblecore, but its voice and preoccupations are very much his own. 

Both recognisably real and shyly romantic, Medicine For Melancholy follows Micah (Wyatt Cenac) and Jo (Tracey Heggins) in the wake of a one night stand, as they roam the streets and bars of San Francisco, negotiating their tentative feelings for each other and their respective positions on the politics of identity, culture and class. Shot on a shoestring over 15 days and filmed in gorgeous soft sepia by James Laxton (who also shot Moonlight), this is a sharp and tender exploration of love, racial identity and the ways we choose to define ourselves. 

The film played at the London Film Festival in 2008, but never received an official UK release. This is a rare opportunity to see it on the big screen and retrace the first steps of one of the most exciting and talented young directors working today.