Michael Fassbender teamed with Brad Pitt in Telluride, Colorado last weekend for the world premiere of their buzzed about film '12 Years a Slave', due to open in limited release on October 18.

The two stars took part in a Q&A to promote the movie, widely expected to be a contender come Oscar time. It’s set during the Civil War, and tells the real life story of a man living in upstate New York who is abducted and sold into slavery.

Fassbender plays the slave owner, and those who saw the finished project on Friday night at the Telluride Film Festival were ecstatic, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which reported that the audience offered “thunderous applause” and a “standing ovation” for the stars and director Steve McQueen, who directed the Irish/German Fassbender in Shame and Cannes Film Festival winner Hunger.

Here's a look at the "12 Years a Slave" trailer: