From Fruitvale to France, Ryan Coogler’s new film about the murder of Oscar Grant continues to impress audiences around the world. The film, "Fruitvale Station", got a rousing two minute standing ovation after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. The film is set for release in the United States this summer. (Watch the film’s trailer here.)

"This is a little movie with a big, big heart," Octavia Spencer, one of the film’s stars told USA Today. "This is our debut to the whole world."

The film captured the hearts of viewers earlier this year at Sundance, where it won the coveted Grand Jury Prize. For Coogler, who’s an Oakland native, that was an incredible turning point. "To speak on the national stage, which is Sundance, was really something," he told USA Today. "And to (now) be on the international stage, that means everything to me."

Coogler has taken time off of his job as a counselor at a San Francisco juvenile justice center to help promote the film. He told reporters what it was like to work with Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer. ""I felt that Octavia was out of reach, she had just won an Oscar. But she agreed," says Coogler. "The question was, could she take direction from a first-time director? She did. She’s a dream, a shining light as a human being. She lifted everyone’s game."