The 31st Starz Denver Film Festival is in full swing and, this year, I’ve had a very inside look at all the behind-the-scenes action. With my new job at the Denver Film Society, I’ve been able to watch this year’s fest grow from a tiny seed into a gigantic tree of cinematic enjoyment.

An astounding nine regional movie premieres will be taking place at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival in Austin, TX. All of these premieres are early screenings of new mainstream movies that will serve as a testing ground for how the films will be marketed and distributed to the rest of America. The only major difference from a regular trip to the movies is that, at these screenings, there is a major opportunity to see the cast of the films and chat with them about each production.

Trashwire writer Wil Chinchilla will be covering SXSW for Trashwire, so keep checking back for more from the fest.