This weekend Buddhists and film lovers will converge in Washington D.C. for BuddhaFest, a four-day festival of Buddhist films, teachings, and entertainment sponsored by the Kay Spiritual Life Center at American University and the Insight Meditation Community of Washington.. Last night BuddhaFest kicked off with director Dorris Dorries’ movie Cherry Blossoms—nominated for fourteen international film awards—and today the festival presents a screening of Fire Under Snow followed by a program by Lama Surya Das and Tara Brach. The festival will continue into Saturday and Sunday with meditation workshops, teachings, and film screenings. From BuddhaFest.org:
A dozen films plus talks and meditation present a unique mix and fresh take on the principles of Buddhism. Highlights include a world-premiere film, an Academy Award-nominated documentary, talks by Tara Brach, Lama Surya Das and Sharon Salzberg, and a Picnic for Peace. The films present a wide-angle view of Buddhism in contemporary life, while the talks and meditations provide the opportunity to focus on our own individual stories and the situations we face now. This will be a simple, practical, and bold look at the profound ways in which meditation and the cultivation of mindfulness can transform lives.
Tomorrow night BuddhaFest will screen Burma VJ—an Oscar nominated film that documents the 2007 uprising against the military in Burma. Check out the trailer below.
For schedules, info, and updates visit BuddhaFest.orgs.