The 2011 SXSW Film Festival has come to an end, which means all you out there probably want to know which films you should actually pay attention to as we soldier on through 2011. SXSW is a different animal from a festival like, say, Sundance, because at SXSW there are more actual moviegoers than people "in the industry" – so if a film does well at SXSW, chances are it will do well when it’s brought to theaters to be consumed by the masses.

I was fortunate enough to spend a good amount of time at SXSW this year, and after watching several films and participating in even more discussions, here are what I feel are the five SXSW films everyone are talking about.
 
Attack the Block1.       Attack the Block (Release Date: TBD 2011) – Hands down, the most buzzed-about film at this year’s festival was Attack the Block, Joe Cornish’s love letter to 1980s creature features starring a group of unknown South London toughs who must band together to defend their home turf from a group of invading aliens.
 
2.       Kill List (Release Date: TBD 2011) – This midnight favorite is the kind of film you don’t talk about because its surprises are too good to spoil. Directed by Ben Wheatley, all we’ll say is that it follows a couple of hit men, one of which is beginning to have a bit of a breakdown.
 
Conan O'Brien3.       Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (Release Date: TBD 2011) – The documentary everyone was buzzing about at SXSW was Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, which chronicled the comedian and late-night host’s 2010 ‘Legally Prohibited from Being Funny Tour’ from inception all the way through the tour’s final performance in Atlanta. Needless to say, it’s a riot, especially for Conan fans, with audiences at the festival eating up every hilarious moment. Look for it to hit across multiple platforms later this year.
 
4.       Sound of My Voice (Release Date: TBD) – Are we cheating by including two Sundance films at the end of this list? Probably, but they’re two films that really ignited buzz out of Utah, and continued to impress people in Austin. Sound of My Voice stars up-and-comer Brit Marlin as the leader of a cult who claims to be from the future, and the film follows two documentarians who infiltrate the cult in an attempt to find out the truth.
 
Bellflower5.       Bellflower (Release Date: Summer 2011) The other Sundance film, Bellflower, is definitely one that divides audiences, but it’s hard not to call out the film’s tremendous independent spirit considering its director also co-starred in the film, shot it with cameras he built, featuring a badass car he also built. The film follows the deteriorating friendship of two dudes who find themselves at a crossroads in life as they prepare for an apocalypse that becomes more and more internal as the minutes tick by.
 
Are there any other films from this year’s SXSW Film Festival that you’re looking forward to seeing?