Michelle Obama praised 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' during a Black History Month workshop on Wednesday.

She called it one of the 'most powerful and important movies' of today.

"It's rare these days to find a movie that can so completely and utterly captivate such a broad audience and that was one of the things that struck me about the movie," she said. "It managed to be beautiful, joyful, and devastatingly honest."

The film is up for 4 Oscars including best actress and picture.

The Cannes Festival winner, "Beasts of the Southern Wild", premiered on Tuesday in New Orleans.

The New Orleans based movie features a 6 year old girl named Hushpuppy along with her father as they face a tragic storm.

"It's really about what it's like to lose the thing that made you", said movie director Benh Zeitlin. "The film is inspired by culture and events in Louisiana but we wanted to elevate it to make it universal. It's about where you come from. Your land is your parent, and there are all these emotional connections that stem from where you come from."

The movie will hit select theaters on July 3.