Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Judging Elton John Music Video Competition

YouTube has announced “Elton John: The Cut”—a global competition to create the official music videos for Elton John’s iconic songs “Bennie and the Jets,” “Rocket Man,” and “Tiny Dancer.” In addition to Elton and his writing partner Bernie Taupin, one of the judges for the competition is Barry Jenkins, the writer and director of Moonlight (which just had a good night at the Golden Globes). The other judges are Melina Matsoukas (who directed videos by Beyoncé and Rihanna) and Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg. Winners will have their videos made and will receive an additional $10,000. Applicants can enter the competition here.

Jenkins said of the competition:

Music is core to my films and to my creative process. ‘The Cut’ is so exciting to me because it combines a number of things I’m passionate about. As a filmmaker whose first film was made with the DIY tools of digital cinema, I love how the democratization of the filmmaking process and platforms like YouTube enables people to tell stories that in previous generations simply could not be told. I hope to see ideas for this competition that push boundaries and defy expectations.

In honor of his participation in the program, a donation of $20,000 will be made to Jenkins’ selected charity, the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center.

Read “Director Barry Jenkins on the Music That Made Moonlight.”

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