What LDVFS offers is a new concept for International film events - a hybrid of the conventional film festival and the traditional award ceremony format dedicated to new independent films and the people behind, in the new era of television and social media.

With the criteria of Leonardo's Horse Nomination selection, and the Independent Spirit Identity , MIFF Awards it's an event studied for filmmakers/distributors who need always necessitate to raise the prestige and the Media impact of their films while keeping the premiere status. If the title will be selected among the Nominations, in a specific category, it will be exhibited only if you win! Otherwise no worry! You keep the prestige of your Leonardo's Horse Nomination along with the premiere status of the film so that you may pursue premier billing at other festivals and/or markets.

HOW THE NEW MIFF AWARDS WORK...

1. Only new titles not yet released in Italy (theaters, dvd, etc.) are qualified for submission to MIFF Awards, the Leonardo da Vinci's Horses.
2. Just like any conventional film festival, films submitted are initially selected and chosen by programmers, in our case a Nomination Committee.
3. The Nominees are selected among the submitted films in each Section and Specific Category (5 names per category including Best Directing, Best Screenwriting, Best acting Performance Male and Female, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Music/Sound Design, Best Supporting Actor and Actress). The candidates are then notified of their "nominated for awards" status and published online and in the catalogue.
4. The films of the Nominated filmmakers are exhibited privately to the members of the nicknamed "Leonardo's Horse Academy" (LDVFS) who vote for the winner in each category. Nominees' films maintain their premiere status.
5. The Nominated filmmakers in each category are invited in Milan for the Leonardo's Horse Award Ceremony dinner during the first weekend, at the beginning - not at the end - of the festival.
6.* Following the Award Ceremony, the core festival program takes place and Winner films of each specific category will be exhibited to the public and will automatically compete for the Best Film Category. The Winner filmmakers are invited to stay and participate to the Winner screenings during the festival, open to the public. Please consult each category as different rules apply.
7. Following the Winner Filmmaker's Movie screenings to the public, the Audience's Choice Award among the Winners, defines the Winner in the Best Film category of the festival.

* For movie accepted in Cannes, MIFF Awards screening schedule will be arranged based on Cannes Premiere screening priority.

MIFF (from English acronym for Milan International Film Festival), nicknamed by the press as the "Milanese Sundance", has been recognized and distinguished as the official International Cinema exhibition festival of Milan. MIFF existed as a conventional film festival for 10 years, until 2010, when with the tenth edition MIFF reinvented itself as MIFF Awards, a brand new genre in the sphere of film events that featured an avant-garde format developed through an unwavering commitment to support independent films.

To submit your film to MIFF Awards for Leonardo's Horse Nominations go to the following application link.

To know more about MIFF and MIFF Awards history, please consult MIFF History page .