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(l-r)  Michael Weinstein, Dr. André Metcalf, Liliane Perez Weinstein, Viviane Winthrop and Shie Rozow

Dr. Viviane G. Winthrop's documentary The Last of the Winthrops, chronicling her unexpected journey into the meaning of love, belonging and family, has won the Best Documenary Feature Award at DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF), presented on February 25th, 2024 at a gala awards ceremony held at AMC Theatres at The Grove in Los Angeles.

"I'm very honored to be recognized by such a prestigious festival as DaVinci International Film Festival," comments Winthrop. "I am also so extremely touched that I was able to share this incredible honor with my family members and filmmaking team who also were in attendance.  Thank you to DIFF founder Chadwick Pelletier for producing such a wonderful event."

The Last of the Winthrops explores the powerful revelations of a woman (Viviane Winthrop), who reclaims her sense of self after taking an Ancestry DNA test. At age 49, Viviane must confront the seismic truth that her dad, Reginald Winthrop, who could literally trace his heritage to the founders of America, was not her biological father. When Reginald and his beautiful French Canadian wife Claire have their “miracle child,” Viviane is raised as an heir to the historic Winthrop exceptionalism.  

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19yf_wopocI&t=8s

Joining Winthrop on the evening were the film's composer Shie Rozow, as well as Andre Metcalf and Winthrop's sister Liliane Perez Weinstein, who also appear in the film.  

During the ceremony, beloved actor Michael J. Fox was also honored with the festival's inaugural Visionary Award, in celebration of the human endeavor and the unwavering pursuit of progress. The renowned actor, producer, and author accepted the award with an inspiring pre-recorded speech.

Moving fluidly between past and present through archival footage, private letters and recordings, the film follows Viviane on an epic journey across five countries and hundreds of years to embrace her new identity, resolving powerful themes about the relationship between bloodlines, love, belonging and family. Adam K. Singer co-wrote and co-directed the film.

Director, writer and producer Viviane Winthrop was born in Montreal, Canada. Her parents moved to Sedona, Arizona when she was a teenager. Although her father was a professional actor and her mother a piano teacher, Viviane chose a career in dentistry. After 25 years as a dentist, she began to pursue her dream as a film director. Her directorial debut The Last of the Winthrops is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and Apple iTunes, and many major streaming platforms. The film won Best Documentary at the 2023 Beyond Hollywood International Film Festival, and was featured at the Global Entertainment Showcase during the French Riviera Film Festival in Cannes, France. Winthrop has also launched the film production company We Unite As One LLC  www.weuniteasone.com.

DIFF showcased more than 100 creative projects, including 24 in-competition feature and short narrative, documentary and animation films, screenwriting finalists, and up to 80 ultra-shorts, which will compete for the festival’s Audience Award. Leo Award categories include feature and short narrative, documentary (DIFFdocs), animation, screenwriting (Storyline), and the Junior Leo Award for student filmmakers. Additional panel programs will include Digital Hollywood, Film BC, In Sync with Hollywood, in addition to the Writers’ Corner Program and DaVinci Labs / Arts & Sciences Program, to anchor the slate.

For its second installment at AMC Theatres at The Grove, DIFF featured an opening night VIP reception, live and in-person screenings, a closing night Leo Award celebration, panel programs, and exclusive festival events, such as DaVinci Labs exhibition, honoring multidisciplinary creatives with its inaugural showcase in architecture in collaboration with ad-c.org.

About DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF) - DaVinci International Film Festival is produced by 501(c)3 nonprofit, DaVinci Film Foundation as a premier, boutique awards platform celebrating independent cinema from around the world with its prestigious Leo Awards. The festival hosts four signature programs including their screenwriting competition, Storyline, DIFFdocs, GENiUS — an ultra-short category, and animation. DIFF ’24 introduces an all-new Junior Leo program honoring burgeoning filmmakers and DaVinci Labs with an exhibition in architecture. 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

Photo Courtesy of We Unite As One LLC.