The DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF) (October 10-12th) announced today that acclaimed actor Emile Hirsch will receive the Honorary Leo Award at the festival’s seventh edition. The prestigious honor, presented each year to visionaries whose work reflects artistic courage and human endeavor, will be awarded during the Closing Awards Ceremony on October 12, 2025, at AMC Theatres at The Grove in Los Angeles.

“Emile Hirsch’s extraordinary career has helped define a generation of independent cinema, while also making an indelible mark in Hollywood,” comments DIFF founder Chadwick Pelletier. “His powerful and nuanced performance as Joseph Bau in Bau, Artist at War showcases his remarkable ability to bring complex, inspiring characters to life. We’re honored to recognize his oustanding body of work and commitment to storytelling with this year’s Honorary Leo Award.”

Hirsch earned international acclaim with his breakthrough role in Sean Penn’s Into the Wild, which garnered him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination and cemented his place among Hollywood’s most compelling young talents.

His impressive filmography includes Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino), opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie; The Comeback Trail, with Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, and Morgan Freeman; Freaks, a psychological sci-fi thriller; Never Grow Old, opposite John Cusack; Lone Survivor, alongside Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, and Ben Foster; and most recently, Bau, Artist at War, where his performance as Joseph Bau has received wide critical acclaim.

Across independent gems and blockbuster successes, Hirsch continues to captivate audiences, bringing both depth and electricity to the screen.

Festival passes and tickets are available now at: Ticketing | DaVinci International Film Festival 2025 (davincifilmfestival.com)

About DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF) - DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF) is produced by 501(c)3 non-profit DaVinci Film Foundation Inc., as a premier boutique awards platform celebrating independent cinema from around the world, and Leo Awards. The festival hosts four signature programs, including its award-winning screenwriting series, Storyline, DIFFdocs, GENiUS – an ultra-short category, and animation. In 2024, DIFF introduced the Jr. Leo Program for burgeoning filmmakers, as well as a DaVinci Labs exhibition, honoring multidisciplinary creatives in architecture, sculpture, music, and invention. 

Following the proven success of international initiatives such as FilmBC and FilmAsia, DIFF this year has unveiled FilmAfrica. This year, the FilmAfrica program will significantly expand its presence, moving beyond a standard two-hour showcase to headline the Opening Night celebration. This prestigious event serves as a foundational step toward the establishment of a new DaVinci festival location in Nairobi next year. Founded in 2017, DIFF is a top best reviewed film festival, hosting annual events at The Grove in Los Angeles, California. Learn more at davincifilmfestival.com.

Event Information

DaVinci International Film Festival | 7th Edition
Dates: October

An absolutely beautiful festival full of excitement. The passion that Dora and the entire UIFF team put into this is truly inspiring. We were honored to be selected and enjoyed every moment from the screening to the truly thrilling award ceremony they put on. Thank you UIFF!

Thomas Winston’s LOST WOLVES OF YELLOWSTONE opens, André Hörmann’s THE COWBOY is the Centerpiece selection, and Elegance Bratton’s MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE gets the closing slot  

Jon Alpert will receive the HSDFF Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award, and ​​Geeta Gandbhir will be the recipient of this year’s Impact Award

The critically acclaimed Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival announced the lineup of films and honorees for its 34th edition, taking place October 10 -18. Screenings will kick off at Oaklawn’s Event Center with the Opening Night presentation of Thomas Winston’s Lost Wolves of Yellowstone, followed by the North American premiere of Centerpiece Selection, André Hörmann’s The Cowboy, and Elegance Bratton’s Move Ya Body: The Birth of House screening on Closing Night. Other premieres include the North American premiere of Sheffield DocFest Grand Jury Award winner Welded Together, the U.S. premiere of John Dower’s The Balloonists, and the U.S. premiere of Jo Seyoung’s K-Number.

Jon Alpert will receive the HSDFF Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award, and Geeta Gandbhir will be the recipient of this year’s Impact Award.

HSDFF Executive Director, Ken Jacobson, said, “In a world that seems, at times, on the verge of spinning out of control, I marvel at the fact that something as simple as a gathering of people to watch documentary films on a big screen can feel as miraculous and urgent as it does this year. For 34 years, the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival has brought the best in non-fiction filmmaking to Hot Springs. Our community has responded by welcoming filmmakers and other guests here to join with us in celebrating this remarkable art form. This year, I am struck by the sheer quality and dynamism of the filmmaking, the courage of those willing to share their lives with the filmmakers, and the emotional depths explored through these incredibly diverse stories. If this year’s festival lineup tells us anything, it’s that creativity and truth-telling still remain as vital as ever. From our Opening to our Closing Night and everything in between, I know that our audiences are in for a very special and unique experience.”

THE GALAS AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Thomas Winston’s Lost Wolves Of Yellowstone will open HSDFF on Friday, October 10 at the Oaklawn Event Center. The film follows the audacious plan and journey to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone as well as profiles the courageous story of Mollie Beattie, director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who led the way. Winston will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A. André Hörmann’s The Cowboy will make its North American premiere as the Centerpiece selection on Wednesday, October 15 at the Arlington Hotel & Spa. Focusing on the idea of the American Cowboy, the film introduces us to 11-year-old Crowley McCuistion, as he’s riding horses and learning how to rope on a Colorado ranch, and then takes us on a remarkable 10-year journey, witnessing his dream of being an American cowboy prove as elusive as a runaway bull. Hörmann will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A. Elegance Bratton’s Move Ya Body