The DaVinci International Film Festival held its eighth annual event on September 25–26, 2026, at The Grove in Los Angeles.
At the opening night, founders and special guests donned traditional kilts to honor screenwriter Randall Wallace (Braveheart), the recipient of the DIFF’s Visionary Award, which was presented to him by British Consul General Paul Rennie; while Shohreh Aghdashloo (pictured) accepted the Leo Award for Best Short Film on behalf of Iranian filmmakers for Farewell Day.
Among the other highlights, DIFF hosted a Writers’ Corner event with professional actors bringing finalist scripts to life with live readings projected on the big screen. The Leo Award for Best Screenplay was ultimately presented to 12:37 The King David Hotel. The session was followed by a writer panel featuring Creighton Rothenberger (Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, The Expendables 3), John Macinnes (Call of Duty), and Barbara Stepansky (Outlander).
This year the festival launched the inaugural RecFest, a new platform dedicated to short adventure documentaries. Zahir was honored with the event’s Black Diamond Award, marking the start of RecFest’s official expansion to British Columbia beginning in 2027.
The 2027 Award Winners are: Visionary Award: Randall Wallace; Feature Film: On a String; Short Film: Farewell Day; Feature Documentary: Kikuyu Land; Short Documentary: Cumbria II; Screenplay: 12:37 The King David Hotel; Animation: Snorri: Catch Me If You Candy!; Junior Leo® Award: Wildcat; and RecFest Black Diamond Award: Zahir
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