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A scene from Moonlight
A scene from Moonlight
A24 Films

A map of Moonlight's Miami filming locations

From Liberty City to Miramar High School

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A scene from Moonlight
| A24 Films

Moonlight's stunning Best Picture win may be getting overshadowed by the biggest snafu in the history of the Academy Awards, but the low-budget film based in Miami has cemented a special place in movie history.

It's fascinating because there are parallels between Sunday night's jumble, which accidentally gave La La Land the award by mistake, to the film's place in Miami itself. Rarely do we see neighborhoods like Liberty City or Miramar on the big screen when movies are shot in South Florida, with the glitz of South Beach often cloaking Miami's more authentic and less sexy neighborhoods, seemingly on the other side of the planet from the bikinis, beaches, and mojitos that have become synonymous with the Magic City.

Moonlight was filmed throughout Miami's core, and while the picture couldn't escape the beach entirely, most of the Miami filming locations were sites probably never before seen by the average tourist or even resident. With some help from Travel and Leisure and IMDB, here are all of Moonight's Miami filming locations, mapped out from south to north.

*Warning: Spoilers ahead

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Virginia Key Beach

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The location where Little learns to swim as a young boy. It's one of the most powerful moments in the early part of the film. A fun fact, via director Barry Jenkins, is the young boy playing Little (Alex R. Hibbert) actually did not know how to swim before filming this scene.

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Miami Metromover Station

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Exact location TBD.

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South Beach

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Chiron visits the beach and is joined by Kevin. They smoke a joint and share a sexual moment.

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Liberty Square

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Also known as the Pork ‘n’ Beans public housing complex, located in Liberty City. This is where Chiron grows up.

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Jimmy's East-Side Diner

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The throwback diner on 72nd Street and Biscayne Boulevard serves as the backdrop for one of the tensest scenes of the film, in the third act when Chiron returns to Miami and visits with a key member of his childhood.

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Royal Castle

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The spot where little Chiron (right) and Juan (left) shared their first bite was at the Royal Castle near Hialeah, notes Curbed reader Jerome. Previously a franchise of over 170 locations throughout the southeast, this is Royal Castle's lone remaining location.

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Miramar High School

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The high school Chiron attends.

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Virginia Key Beach

The location where Little learns to swim as a young boy. It's one of the most powerful moments in the early part of the film. A fun fact, via director Barry Jenkins, is the young boy playing Little (Alex R. Hibbert) actually did not know how to swim before filming this scene.

A24

Miami Metromover Station

Exact location TBD.

A24

South Beach

Chiron visits the beach and is joined by Kevin. They smoke a joint and share a sexual moment.

A24

Liberty Square

Also known as the Pork ‘n’ Beans public housing complex, located in Liberty City. This is where Chiron grows up.

A24

Jimmy's East-Side Diner

The throwback diner on 72nd Street and Biscayne Boulevard serves as the backdrop for one of the tensest scenes of the film, in the third act when Chiron returns to Miami and visits with a key member of his childhood.

A24

Royal Castle

The spot where little Chiron (right) and Juan (left) shared their first bite was at the Royal Castle near Hialeah, notes Curbed reader Jerome. Previously a franchise of over 170 locations throughout the southeast, this is Royal Castle's lone remaining location.

A24 Films

Miramar High School

The high school Chiron attends.

A24