The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) is organising ‘The Bodhipath Film Festival’, scheduled to be held on 10-11 March 2025 at the India International Centre, New Delhi.
This event is dedicated to Buddhists globally and offers a platform for myriad representations, ranging from historical teachings of the Buddha to unravelling the tribulations of the mind, to be shared and appreciated by the global audience. Over two days, the festival will feature screenings of ten highly recommended global films that have been meticulously curated to reflect the beauty of Buddhist practices, experiences, and the appreciation of values such as compassion, mindfulness, and impermanence, which are prerequisites in diurnal life. In addition to the film screenings, the festival will host four panel discussions, each designed to seek the crux of the themes and insights presented in the films. The broad topics for the panel discussions are as follows:
- Relevance of Buddhist Films in India – Past, Present and Future.
- Opportunity and Challenges in Spiritual Film Making.
- Concept of Art in Buddha Dhamma.
- Mindful Communication.
‘Meticulous progression,’ an integral aspect of Buddha Dhamma, emphasizes careful and deliberate advancement towards enlightenment. Buddha Dhamma involves mindfulness and precision, where every thought, action, and moment are carefully considered to achieve spiritual awakening. This dedication to meticulous progression reinforces the impact of mindfulness in achieving depth and truth.
Similarly, as a medium and art form, film making represents an exceptionally intricate and sophisticated technological endeavour. The multifaceted relationship among the conceptualizations of the filmmaker, the machinery, the art, the narrative building, and the human resources involved is so intensely knitted that it often defies comprehensible description. The veracity and authenticity achieved by motion pictures are directly proportional to the filmmaker’s depth of observation and insight.
Creating a film requires careful attention to detail, much like Buddha Dhamma’s emphasis on systematic advancement. Every frame and interaction must be crafted for an authentic and harmonious representation. Buddhist films provide significant opportunities to visualise the Buddha, his teachings, and the self in nuanced ways. Buddhist films can be considered as part of the spiritual journey that reshapes vision and the act of viewing becomes a ritual process and contemplative practice.
The Bodhipath Film Festival aims to celebrate and showcase the rich spiritual, cultural, and philosophical traditions of Buddha Dhamma through the motion picture medium. The film festival underscores the universality of Dhamma, reflecting common values between various traditions, practices, and beliefs across Asian Buddhist countries as individuals, families, societies, and nation at large grapple with contemporary challenges; seeking answers from dharma to address the chaos and uncertainty all- around and the breakdown of human relationships.
The festival aims to illuminate and nurture the core values of Buddha Dhamma through the powerful cinematic expression. The panel discussions will serve as a bridge between filmmakers, scholars, and audiences, encouraging meaningful dialogue and exchange of ideas. The festival aspires to preserve and celebrate Buddhist heritage in a rapidly modernizing world, ensuring that the teachings and philosophies of the Buddha continue to awaken and motivate the future generations.
