THESE ARE THE 2012 FILMS & TALKS
ARCHIVES
2012 FILMS & TALKS
CONNECTED Buy Tickets
Opening Night Film
Thursday, June 14 at 7:30 pm
111 Minutes plus opening ceremony & program and director Q & A
Filmmaker Tiffany Shlain takes us on a warm and exhilarating journey of self-discovery with CONNECTED. Witty and poignant, it’s a personal film with universal relevance. It leads us to the liberating idea that after centuries of declaring our independence, it just may be time for us to declare our INTERdependence.
Director Tiffany Shlain will join us via Skype to take questions from the audience.
BUDDHA’S LOST CHILDREN covers a year in the life of a small, roving monastic community, and it captures the struggle of forgotten young souls at the edge of Thai society (more...)
BARAKA Buy Tickets
Saturday, June 16 at 12 Noon
96 Minutes
We pick up on our opening night theme of interconnectedness with BARAKA, an extraordinary jewel of a film. It’s a guided meditation on the interdependence of all life, and it's probably unlike anything you've ever seen before.
The result is a tour-de-force that Fricke describes as a “cinematic guided meditation,” a film in which we are invited to consider humanity’s relation to the eternal (more...)
WHEN THE IRON BIRD FLIES Buy Tickets
Sneak Preview
Saturday, June 16 at 3 pm
104 Minutes plus Tsoknyi Rinpoche talk and meditation and director Q&A
The much-awaited film from Victress Hitchcock, the acclaimed director who brought us BLESSINGS, is finally here.
WHEN THE IRON BIRD FLIES traces the astounding path of one of the world’s great spiritual traditions, from the caves of Tibet to the mainstream of western culture. The film asks the question: In these incredibly chaotic, modern times, can these age old teachings help us find genuine happiness -- and create a saner, more compassionate 21st century world? (more...)
Director Victress Hitchcock and Co-Producer Amber Bemak will be present to take questions from the audience.
BODHISATTVA Buy Tickets
East Coast Premiere
Sunday, June 16 at 2:45 pm.
70 Minutes plus "The Way of Shambhala" talk and meditation and director Q & A
BuddhaFest is very pleased to present the new film, BODHISATTVA - THE JOURNEY OF THE SEVENTEENTH GYALWA KARMAPA. This is only the third public screening of the film anywhere in the world. BODHISATTVA is a rare look at the Seventeenth Gyalwa Karmapa, one of the most important Lamas in the world of Tibetan Buddhism. Many view him as the natural successor to the Dalai Lama, and the face of Tibetan Buddhism for a new generation.
The film follows this young man of extraordinary warmth, humanity and charisma as he embarks (more...)
RAM DASS: FIERCE GRACE Buy Tickets
Sunday, June 17 at 7 pm
93 Minutes plus Closing Night program and director Q & A
Ram Dass makes live appearance via Skype
This film is part of our closing night program, "The Power of Grace - A Tribute to Ram Dass." Krishna Das leads the evening, and Ram Dass makes a rare appearance live via Skype from his home in Maui.
"When I first met Ram Dass 25 years ago," says director Mickey Lemle, "one of his messages that touched me was that we are both human and divine -- and that we must hold both simultaneously. He would explain that if one goes too far in the direction of one's humanity, one suffers. If one goes too far in the direction of one's divinity, one runs the risk of forgetting one's zip code."
RAM DASS: FIERCE GRACE is a portrait of Ram Dass (Richard Alpert), 60s guru, spiritual teacher, cohort of Timothy Leary, and author of Be Here Now, one of the most influential books of the 1970s. The film begins as Ram Dass confronts the effects of a massive stroke he suffered in February 1997, leaving him physically incapacitated and with impaired memory and speech. (more...)
TALKS
90 Minutes
Tara Brach, Jonathan Foust, Congressman Tim Ryan
This is a rare opportunity to see a leading dharma teacher and a U.S. congressman sit down and discuss mindfulness together.
Jonathan Foust begins this special evening by inviting us into an embodied presence. He leads a guided practice in mindful movement and breathing to support us in slowing down and being more present.
Tara Brach discusses the power that a mindfulness practice brings to freeing our hearts, and she shows how it can help bring intimacy and transformation to our closest relationships. Congressman Tim Ryan, author of A Mindful Nation, talks about the power that mindfulness has to transform our society. He is an outspoken advocate for using mindfulness to help solve some of the country's complex problems, and he discusses many of the exciting ways in which that's starting to be done.
Together, Tara and the Congressman also share personal experiences and answer questions from the audience.
Congressman Ryan joins us at 6 pm in the lobby for a meet and greet and book-signing.
Presented by BuddhaFest and the World Wildlife Fund
Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Sharon Salzberg. They are joined by Lou Leonard and Dekila Chungyulpa of WWF.
"Many people suffer deeply and they do not know they suffer. They try to cover up the suffering by being busy. Many people get sick today because they get alienated from Mother Earth. The practice of mindfulness helps us to touch Mother Earth inside of the body, and this practice can help heal people. So the healing of the people should go together with the healing of the Earth. This is the insight, and it is possible for anyone to practice."
- Thich Nhat Hanh
We have reached a critical juncture in our biological and social evolution. Many scientists have concluded that the survival of human civilization is at stake. There has never been a more important time in history to bring the resources of Buddhism to bear on behalf of all living beings.
Climate change is probably the greatest humanitarian and environmental challenge the world faces today. How can we as Buddhists positively contribute to slowing climate change and minimizing its impacts? Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Sharon Salzberg explore the vital role that compassion and awareness can play in helping us to awaken from our illusion of separateness from others -- and from the Earth.
Following their teaching, they are joined by Lou Leonard and Dekila Chungyulpa of the World Wildlife Fund. They discuss how Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayas are responding to the threat of climate change, and practical ways that each of us can be part of the global solution.
We then each have an opportunity to sign a unique document that has emerged from the contributions of more than 20 Buddhist teachers from all traditions. It's called, "The Time to Act is Now - A Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change." HH the Dalai Lama was the first to sign it, and this is how the declaration concludes:
"We have a brief window of opportunity to take action, to preserve humanity from imminent disaster, and to assist the survival of the many diverse and beautiful forms of life on Earth. Future generations, and the other species that share the biosphere with us, have no voice to ask for our compassion, wisdom, and leadership. We must listen to their silence. We must be their voice, too, and act on their behalf."
Happiness for No Reason: Awakening Essence Love
Saturday, June 16 at 2:15 pm
Being Awake in the World
2 Hours
The answer for many, including Pannavati, is yes. Join her for a conversation on compassionate wisdom in action, as she looks at how social conscience can be an instrument by which we measure our inner and outer Buddha nature.
Following her talk and meditation, Pannavati is joined on stage by teens and leaders from iBme (Inward Bound Mindfulness Education). This wonderful group is dedicated to introducing teens to meditation and mindfulness, and helps them cultivate awareness, compassion and kindness for themselves, for others, and for the environment. Teens share what it means to them to be awake and of service in the world, and several of them treat us to performances that showcase their talents.
As part of the morning program, we also screen the five films that were Runners-Up and Director's Choice selections in the BuddhaFest Short Films Showcase presented by Tricycle.
Buddha Nature Brain: From Hatred, Greed, and Heartache to Peace, Happiness, and Love
Sunday, June 17 at 1 pm
Throughout history, great saints and sages have entered profound states of mind through cultivating extraordinary states in their brains. Nowadays, we are learning that these elevated states of consciousness are available to all of us.
Jerry Webster, Christian Gregory, Jayne Sutton
The legend of Shambhala tells of a kingdom whose subjects have developed--through meditation--confidence in their basic goodness, resulting in a harmonious, enlightened society. The contemporary Shambhala Buddhist teachings of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche tell us that such a society is possible, right here and now.
This workshop will begin with an introduction to meditation as taught at the DC Shambhala Center, leading into a discussion about the nature of basic goodness and the possibility of creating a compassionate society on this earth. Participants will have an opportunity to contemplate these ideas and discuss them in small groups. We will close with an aspiration for general well-being.
Closing Night
The Power of Grace: A Tribute to Ram Dass
Sunday, June 17 at 7 pm
3 Hours 15 minutes
Krishna Das, Ram Dass, Mickey Lemle
“If we know anything about a path at all, it’s only because of the Great Ones that have gone before us," says Krishna Das. "Out of their love and kindness, they have left some footprints to follow.” On the closing night of BuddhaFest, we pay tribute to one of the great ones from our own era, Ram Dass. This is going to be a very special evening.
Ram Dass has been a seminal figure in the modern consciousness movement, sparking spiritual journeys for many with his generation-defining book, Be Here Now. He has been a close friend and spiritual brother of Krishna Das since introducing him to their guru, Maharaj-ji.
Krishna Das opens the evening with a talk and meditation. We then screen RAM DASS: FIERCE GRACE. After the film, Ram Dass joins us for a rare appearance live via Skype. Director Mickey Lemle takes questions from the audience. Krishna Das then closes out the festival with a special musical performance in tribute to his beloved friend, Ram Dass.