On July 11, Richard Linklater will bring his latest feature "Boyhood" to movie theaters.

The new film is one of the most unique experiments in recent cinema, as the director shot the movie throughout the past 12 years.

The film shows a seven-year-old (Ellar Coltrane) grow up in front of audiences.

When the movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, critics raved about the project, with many calling it an absolute masterpiece and others claiming it to the first Oscar contender. Even IFC Films has taken on a different release pattern. Rather than unveiling the film on VOD and theaters at the same time, "Boyhood" will only play at a local cinema. The small company is also banking on a nationwide release, which is very rare for IFC Films.

However, "Boyhood" is not the first time Linklater plays with form and experiments in cinema.

Last year, the director concluded his "Before" trilogy after nearly 30 years. The experiment began in 1994, when he filmed the critically acclaimed "Before Sunrise." A few years later, he reunited his cast for the sequel, and two years ago, it was reported he was filming the last movie. Recognized as the lowest grossing trilogy ever, the three films show the relationship between Celine and Jesse flourish through different stages in their lives. The movies were huge Indie films and the last two films, "Before Sunset" and "Before Midnight," were both recognized by the Academy for their outstanding Original Screenplays.

Each film takes place 10 years after the other and they all fascinate, as they are essentially two character films filled with thought-provoking and entertaining dialogue. The fascinating part of the films is how you not only see the development of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as actors, but audiences see the relationship between the characters grow in the most intimate and realistic way. It is also unique that Linklater decided to film each installment in different locations and showcased the beauty and natural world of Europe.

Linklater's experimental style was also seen in his 2012 narrative "Bernie." The movie infused documentary with narrative in the most proficient way. As the story happens, Linklater uses the commentary of townspeople who comment on the events that happen in the movie. It is eccentric at first, but the style ultimately works and what audiences get is a poignant comedy.

The director also delved into the hyperlink film. Like "Crash" and "Babel," his 2006 "Fast Food Nation" told multiple stories about the fast food industry. He included stories about the factory workers, the restaurant workers, the families and executives, and essentially criticized the corrupt and unhealthy fast food industry. The movie is far from one of his most successful, but he puts together an exceptional cast that included Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ana Claudia Talancon, Paul Dano, Greg Kinnear, Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, and Ethan Hawke.

Linklater has also experimented with animation. Except for his two films "Walking Life" and "A Scanner Darkly" he used a method called rotoscope. When he shot the two films, he filmed and edited them as live action movies. When he had a finished product, he employed a team of artists to "trace over" individual frames. The result was a semi-real effect that Linklater has been able to master.

The Austin-born director is also recognized in Hollywood, as he crossed over to make two mainstream films. The first was the extremely successful "School of Rock." Not only was it a critical darling, but it also became his highest grossing picture to this date. His 2005 remake of "Bad News Bears," on the other hand, was a complete disaster. The film was a critical flop and also put up poor numbers at the box office for a summer flick. Like most mainstream crossovers, Linklater's name was not the main focus.

With a director of such diversity, it is no doubt he is considered one of the best of our time and one that is likely to continue to surprise audiences all over.