[ot-caption title=”The annual SXSW has some of the most important and interesting film premiers of the year. (via, Shelby Drummond, Flicker)”]

It is mid Spring and the film industry has an extremely packed schedule as the film festival circuit is in full swing. Over the next few months, festivals such as the Tribeca Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival will begin to screen highly anticipated films, but before any of that happens, South by Southwest, more commonly known as SXSW, will premier films in Austin, Texas.

One film that has gotten a lot of attention and buzz coming out of a strong premiere at SXSW is Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg‘s animated comedy Sausage Party. While the film was screened as a “work in progress,” critics came out with a really positive attitude towards the film, with The Hollywood Reporter calling it “surprisingly hilarious.” To capitalize on the film’s strong showing, Sony Pictures released the film’s first trailer right after its premiere. While the film’s aesthetic portrays the film as a family friendly animated film, the trailer quickly establishes that the R-rated comedy is definitely not intended for all ages.

Another film that has promised an experience like no other is the first person action movie Hardcore Henry. Directed by first time feature director Ilya Naishuller, Hardcore Henry is an exciting action movie that looks much more like a first person shooter video game than a film. Naishuller has been working for quite some time to make this film a reality. In 2011, Naishuller released a music video for a Russian song titled “The Stampede,” which was the first glimpse of the first person action movie he had in mind. Two years later, in 2013, Naishuller released another first person action music video that today has over thirty-two million views. Now in 2016, Naishuller is here with a full feature film and critics have exclaimed that the wait for a full feature film has been worth it. While the hectic cinematography is not for everyone, it seems most SXSW audiences have fallen in love with the technique, with critic Fred Topel stating that “the technique is groundbreaking.”

SXSW is known for showcasing all forms of art, but one of its most important showcases has always been the films that have screened during the festival. This year is clearly no different with screenings of both highly anticipated and well reviewed features. Luckily for Pine Crest students, many of these films are not too far away from landing in theaters. Hardcore Henry rolls out to theaters on April 8th, 2016, and Sausage Party will begin playing on August 12, 2016, so grab some popcorn and prepare to be amazed.

Sources: IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Youtube, Nerd Report, The Hollywood Reporter