At DaVinci, we move beyond traditional categories to honor The Disciplines. We view cinema as a feat of both imagination and engineering. Whether you are building a narrative from the ground up or excavating the truth of the human condition, we seek work that demonstrates a mastery of the craft and a profound Art of Intent.
The Narrative Disciplines
- Narrative Feature The Anatomy of the Masterwork (>40m TRT). We seek feature-length works that demonstrate a complete mastery of the cinematic frame. This discipline is reserved for the Auteur who understands the structural integrity required to sustain a singular vision over a grand scale.
- Narrative Short The Precision of the Moment (<40m TRT). A study in narrative efficiency. We honor short-form storytelling where every beat is engineered for maximum impact and every frame serves the architectural whole.
The Non-Fiction Disciplines
- Documentary Feature The Truth of Form. This discipline honors the filmmakers who excavate reality with precision and unflinching rigor. We seek long-form documentaries (>40m TRT) that use innovative structures to reveal the unseen architecture of our world.
- Documentary Short The Observed Mechanic. A focused examination of a singular truth. We look for short-form non-fiction (<40m TRT) that balances empathetic storytelling with technical clarity.
The Specialized Disciplines
- Animation Short The Engineering of Dreams. Where technical innovation meets limitless creative possibility. This discipline celebrates the animators who build entirely new worlds through the meticulous marriage of technology and soul.
- GENiUS (Ultra-Short; 5m TRT) The Physics of Brevity. Our signature discipline for works five minutes or less. This is the art of the essential—capturing a profound cinematic experience within the strictest structural constraints. **Audience Award
- Music Video Visual Rhythm & Logic. We celebrate the intersection of sound and image. This discipline is for the filmmaker who engineers a visual landscape to harmonize perfectly with the architecture of a score. **Official Selection Only
The Developmental Disciplines
- Junior Leo Awards (Student) The Apprenticeship. Nurturing the next generation of Cinematic Architects. This discipline provides a professional platform for student filmmakers to have their work validated by our Jury within a high-level laboratory environment.
- Screenwriting (Storyline) Presented by Final Draft®. We honor the blueprint of cinema. This discipline is for writers who understand that a great film is built on the strength of its structural foundation and poetic intent. Storyline Finalists present at DaVinci’s The Writers’ Corner.
2026 Special Discipline
- The Military Narrative (Feature or Short) The Discipline of Duty. For the 2026 season, we are introducing a dedicated discipline for Military-themed narratives and documentaries. We seek stories—fictional or non-fictional—that explore the internal mechanics of service, the anatomy of sacrifice, and the profound engineering of the human spirit under pressure. D8 will invite Patriot Pictures to open the festival, September 2026.