'Moonlight' Editor, Joi McMillon, Becomes First Black Woman to Earn an Oscar Nomination

'Moonlight' is by the one of the best reviewed films of the year, and today it scored eight Oscar nominations. The film's editors Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders scored their first nominations.

McMillion's nod was a historic one. She is the first Black woman to ever be nominated for an editing Oscar.

Remarkably, 'Moonlight' is McMillon's first feature-length film as an editor. She previously worked as an assistant editor on reality tv shows like "Beauty and the Geek" and "The Biggest Loser" and moved on to work on to work in supporting roles on feature films like Don Cheadle's Talk to Me and multiple Tyler Perry projects.  She was recruited to work on Moonlight while working on HBO's "Togetherness."

McMillon knew the film's director, Barry Jenkins, from her days at Florida State University, where both attended film school.

As a Black woman in the field, she says her wait for a big break was sometimes frustrating but expected.

"As an assistant, you can be waiting around for a good 10 years,” she told IndieWire. “The feature world is dominated by a lot of men, which is makes it that much harder.”

McMillon's next project "Lemon," directed by Janicza Bravo’s debut premieres at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Academy Awards Joi McMillon Moonlight Oscars