Festival honors Oscar nominees Randall Wallace and Shohreh Aghdashloo, debuts RecFest, and announces major 2027 global expansion to Europe, Africa, and Canada.
The DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF) successfully wrapped its 8th annual event, held September 25–26 at The Grove. Marking a milestone year of sold-out screenings and standing-room-only crowds, the festival celebrated global independent cinema, landmark honorees, and exciting major expansions for 2027.
Opening night set a vibrant and unforgettable tone as founders and special guests donned traditional kilts to honor Oscar-nominated screenwriter Randall Wallace (Braveheart). British Consulate General Paul Rennie took the stage to present Wallace with DIFF’s prestigious Visionary Award®. The celebratory opening night festivities were further elevated by an opening reception hosted by Belhaven Brewery.
The star-studded weekend continued with a series of acclaimed screenings and presentations. Oscar-nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo captivated audiences by accepting the Leo Award for Best Short Film on behalf of Iranian filmmakers for Farewell Day. Meanwhile, festivalgoers turned out in droves for the powerful feature documentary Growth, resulting in a sold-out, standing-room-only triumph.
DIFF’s commitment to championing screenwriting also took center stage as its competition, out of Storyline, hosted a dynamic Writers’ Corner event. Professional actors brought finalist scripts to life with live readings projected on the big screen, with the Leo Award for Best Screenplay ultimately presented to 12:37 The King David Hotel. The session was immediately followed by an exclusive, one-on-one professional writer panel featuring top industry veterans Creighton Rothenberger (Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, The Expendables 3), John Macinnes (Call of Duty), and Barbara Stepansky (Outlander).
Building on this momentum, the festival proudly launched the inaugural year of RecFest, a groundbreaking new platform dedicated to short adventure documentaries. Zahir was honored with the event’s first-ever Black Diamond Award™, marking the start of RecFest’s official expansion to British Columbia beginning in 2027.
Looking ahead to an ambitious future, DIFF announced major global milestones for 2027. The festival will host their must-attend DaVinci Masquerade event in Cannes, expand its international footprint with residency programs in Nairobi, and launch its exclusive streaming platform for DIFF alumni, DaVinciPlus.
2027 Official Award Winners:
• 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
• RecFest™ Black Diamond Award: Zahir
Stay connected with all things DIFF on Instagram at @davincifilmfestival and online at davincifilmfestival.com as the festival looks forward to an even bigger 9th edition in 2027.
“Honoring Randall Wallace wasn’t just a highlight of our festival; it was a deeply personal milestone,” shared Founder & Executive Director Chadwick Pelletier. “As a filmmaker and screenwriter, Randall’s body of work has fundamentally shaped my own journey behind the lens. To present him with our Visionary Award for his masterworks, alongside a special screening of Braveheart, embodies the very soul of what we do: celebrating the storytellers who forever change how we see the world.” – Chadwick Pelletier
DIFF’s 8th Edition would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors and partners. We extend our deepest gratitude to the St. Andrews Society, Belhaven Brewery, the Association for the Recovery of Children, Ally, Atlas Free, Velvet Eyewear, NIKKI, Sogno Restaurant, SkyFather Films, JustWrite Coffee Co., and FilmBC Group for their invaluable partnership in championing independent cinema and empowering our global community of creators.
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Photos by Sheri Determan, Kevin Boot.
