# Mahershala Ali Cries at Moonlight Scene

> Ali breaks down recalling Moonlight's emotional dinner scene at London Film Festival.
- Title: Mahershala Ali Cries at Moonlight Scene · Variety | Shortify
- Summary: Ali breaks down recalling Moonlight's emotional dinner scene at London Film Festival. Mahershala Ali cried during a London Film Festival talk about the…
- Keywords: mahershala ali, moonlight, spider verse, bfi london film festival, barry jenkins, oscar, entertainment, culture, Mahershala, Ali, Cries, Scene
- Source: Variety — https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/mahershala-ali-cries-moonlight-scene-spider-verse-1236914806
- Author: Naman Ramachandran
- Published: 2026-10-17T14:28:04+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mahershala ali, moonlight, spider verse, bfi london film festival, barry jenkins, oscar, entertainment, culture
## Mahershala Ali breaks down
Ali cried on stage at BFI London Film Festival recalling the Moonlight dinner scene where young Chiron asks Juan if he sells drugs.

> You see this like crisis for this young boy who’s already in crisis, it’s really heartbreaking.
## Moonlight's 10th anniversary
The Barry Jenkins drama won Ali one of two Oscars and recently marked its 10th anniversary.
## Ali keeps quiet on Spider-Verse
Ali declined to comment on Spider-Verse at the London Film Festival, saying he has to be careful.

> I’ve got to be careful.
## Key takeaway

Mahershala Ali cried during a London Film Festival talk about the Moonlight dinner scene where a young boy asks if his drug dealer sells drugs.