After a two-year pandemic-imposed hiatus, International Buddhist Film Festival (IBFF) returns to the Smith Rafael Film Center for an in-person event December 9-12, 2021, co-presented by California Film Institute (CFI) and Buddhist Film Foundation (BFF). Nine films from seven countries will premiere over the long weekend, with special guests at every screening.
ADMISSION PER SCREENING:
$15 General | $13. Senior • Youth • Matinée | $10 CFI Members
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OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION | BAY AREA PREMIERE
ZOOM Q&A WITH DIRECTOR PAWO CHOYNING DORJI
THURSDAY, DEC. 9 • 7:30
A citified Bhutanese school teacher is sent to a very rural village to complete his obligatory public service before he can leave for a life in Australia. This is an instant classic, a wonderful neo-realist adventure. Not quite a road movie (more of a trail movie…), and not just a fish-out-of-water story, it’s a marvelous blend of serious and whimsical, with the special sauce of Bhutan’s astounding landscapes. Beautifully shot, with wonderful music, and a great cast of nonprofessionals. World premiere at the BFI London Film Festival; winner of the Audience Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. In Dzongka with English subtitles. Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji (Bhutan 2019) 110 min.
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USA PREMIERE
ZOOM Q&A WITH DIRECTOR PAUL MCLAY
FRIDAY, DEC. 10 • 4:30
A young Tibetan boy is sent to a Buddhist monastery in India, and despite all the camaraderie, he is homesick. His compassionate teacher finds a way to engage him in a game that suggests a solution. This pint-sized hero’s journey within the confines of a monastery offers insight and surprise. Beautifully filmed on location in India. In Tibetan with English subtitles. Director: Paul McLay (Russia 2018) 91 min.
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CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION | INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
IN PERSON: DIRECTOR MAARTJE NEVEJAN
SPECIAL GUEST: DON LATTIN, former SF Chronicle religion editor and author of The Harvard Psychedelic Club and Changing Our Minds—Psychedelic Sacraments and the New Psychotherapy, will host the Q+A with director Maartje Nevejan.
FRIDAY, DEC. 10 • 7:30
An alternate title for this film could be Meditation and Mushrooms, which would perfectly suit this fascinating and delightful documentary. Zen teacher Vajna Palmers (a ten-year veteran of Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in California, and colleague of Brother David Steindl-rast) enlists a neuroscientist in Switzerland to introduce his Zen students to psilocybin mushrooms in (legal) research on the so-called “hard” question: what is consciousness? With science usually coming at mind (at least the brain) from the outside, and meditation coming at mind from the inside, a renewed interest in entheogens (psychedelics) and new legal paths for research make this a very timely and provocative film. Filmed on location at Sekimonji (Rock Gate Temple), Mt. Rigi, Switzerland. In English and German with English subtitles. Director: Maartje Nevejan (Netherlands 2021) 78 min.
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USA PREMIERE
ZOOM INTRODUCTION BY DIRECTOR BABETH MONDINI-VANLOO
SPECIAL GUEST: NOAH LEVINE, FEATURED FILM SUBJECT
IN PERSON: DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY ASHLEY JAMES
SATURDAY, DEC. 11 • 1:30
With a body covered in tattoos, Noah Levine, the American author of Dharma Punx, is not your typical Buddhist teacher. His Against the Stream meditation centers appealed to many people who are not easily reached by more traditional Buddhist programs. Dharma Rebel was initially going to be a film about him and his successful addiction treatment program Refuge Recovery, but during production, when an ex-girlfriend of his accuses him of sexual misconduct, the film takes a dramatic turn… Director: Babeth Mondini-VanLoo (Netherlands 2020) 77 min.
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USA PREMIERE
SPECIAL GUEST: TENZIN WANGYAL RINPOCHE, FEATURED FILM SUBJECT
IN PERSON: PRODUCER NELA FERNANDEZ
SATURDAY, DEC. 11 • 4:30
A simple man, Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, is recognized as one of the great living masters of the ancient Bön tradition; he is the head teacher, or Lopon. At Tristen Norbutse Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal, families leave their children to begin their education in what’s considered the fifth and earliest school of Tibetan Buddhism. Through the ensemble account of several Bön practitioners from diverse countries and cultures, Lopon delves into the reasons for the personal search for spirituality, and the ways in which this practice is integrated into Western culture. Filmed on location in Nepal, Poland, Mexico, France, and Finland. In English and other languages with English subtitles. Director: Everardo Gonzales (Mexico 2020) 77 min.
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BAY AREA PREMIERE
IN PERSON: DIRECTOR ADAM KAHAN
SATURDAY, DEC. 11 • 7:30
“I’m not interested in playing what I already know. I want to discover something new every time I pick up my bass.” Jazz bassist Buster Williams has played with everyone, from Sarah Vaughan to Miles Davis, Nancy Wilson, Art Blakey, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and on. Herbie Hancock credits him with introducing him to Buddhism, which enabled him to overcome his drug addiction. A sincere master is lovingly profiled here, living a creative life with remarkable friends, making great music. Director: Adam Kahan (USA 2021) 90 min.
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USA PREMIERE
ZOOM Q&A WITH DIRECTOR YESHE HEGAN AND FEATURED FILM SUBJECT
SUNDAY, DEC. 12 • 1:30
In an arduous three year ordeal, the gifted Tibetan teacher Kangyur Rinpoche escaped Tibet on foot with a complete set of the Tibetan Buddhist canon (the Kangyur, original texts attributed to Sakyamuni Buddha translated from Sanskrit or Chinese). He was a key figure in seeding the soil for the blossoming of Tibetan Buddhism in the West. This epic story is well told through one of his students, Kim Hegan, and commentators including Matthieu Ricard and Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, along with Kangyur Rinpoche’s two sons, Tulku Pema Wangyal Rinpoche and Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche. Filmed on location in India and New Zealand. In English, French and Tibetan with English subtitles. Director: Yeshe Hegan (New Zealand 2020) 90 min.
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WORLD PREMIERE
IN PERSON: DIRECTOR EDWARD BURGER
SUNDAY, DEC. 12 • 4:30
This is a brilliant re-imagining by director Edward Burger of his critically-acclaimed debut film about contemporary Chinese hermits, Amongst White Clouds (IBFF2008), told with new interview footage, a new voice-over and score, and a fresh perspective on the timeless lessons of these monks and nuns. Inspired by the book Road to Heaven, by Bill Porter. Filmed on location in China. In English and Chinese with English subtitles. Director: Edward Burger (USA 2021) 93 min.
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CLOSING NIGHT PRESENTATION | WEST COAST PREMIERE
SUNDAY, DEC. 12 • 7:30
The new film from the always creative Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden (Silent Holy Stones/IBFF2010, Old Dog, Jinpa) is a slyly provocative drama beautifully filmed in a Tibetan town. While exploring death and reincarnation, it playfully looks at China’s old one-child policy and the consequences for the women in particular. Winner: Best Director, Best Screenplay, Shanghai International Film Festival. In Tibetan with English subtitles. Director: Pema Tseden (China 2019) 102 min.
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