La Catalan Coordinator of Buddhist Entitats (CCEB) and the Dharma-Gaia Foundation (FDG), announce the second edition of the Catalan Buddhist Film Festival (II FCBC) which will take place, once again, at the Verdi cinemas in the city of Barcelona, from 23 to 27 October 2024.
The Catalan Buddhist Film Festival is a joint initiative of the Catalan Coordinator of Buddhist Entitats and the Dharma-Gaia Foundation. It is organized by the Catalan Coordinator of Buddhist Entitats, and has the Dharma-Gaia Foundation as its official sponsor, both non-profit entities. He also has as a prominent collaborator the Buddhist Film Foundation (BFF), the organizing institution of the International Buddhist Film Festival that is held in the main cities of the world, and has the support of the Barcelona City Council and the Government of Catalonia. In the future, the organizers of the FCBC and the BFI intend to bring the International Festival to the city of Barcelona.
With the objective of consolidating itself as a biennial event, the festival will showcase a meticulously curated selection of recent or unreleased films or documentaries in Catalonia. The objective is to familiarize the Catalan public with Buddhism and its fundamental values and principles, such as non-violence, compassion, the interdependence of all beings and the protection of the environment.
The leadership team of the second edition of the Catalan Buddhist Film Festival is made up entirely of women, including its two co-directors: Montse Castellà, who represents the CCEB, and Fina Íñiguez, representing the FDG.
As part of this article, we had the opportunity to interview Fina Íñiguez:
Buddhistdoor in Spanish: What are your expectations for the second edition of the Catalan Buddhist Film Festival? How will this edition differ from the first? What improvements have been implemented?
Fine Iniguez: We started from a very positive experience: in the first edition, we posted the “sold out” sign at all the sessions and we had extensive public participation in the debates following the screenings. In this second edition, we aim, not only to repeat the public success of the first, but to increase it, publicizing this initiative to disseminate Buddhism and its values to an even wider audience, nationally and internationally.
Compared to the first edition, there are no substantial changes in terms of format. It will continue to be a non-competitive festival that for five days will screen eight recently produced films, with motivating stories and impeccable cinematographic quality, offering at least four double sessions, some followed by talks with specialists in the subjects presented.
As for improvements, using a soccer expression, “a team that wins, you don't touch it”. We are a small team, with a management made up of four enthusiastic women and we have the support of professionals with the same motivation: to offer high-quality films and documentaries through different perspectives on Buddhist philosophy of life with the objective of making that seed germinate and multiply, reaching as many people as possible.
Buddhistdoor in Spanish: In the current context, characterized by armed conflicts, the climate crisis and growing spiritual unrest, what do you think the contribution of Buddhism can be to the contemporary world?
TO: Non-violence, meditation to achieve mental peace, respect for all beings and the environment, are possibly some of the values most linked to Buddhism in general. But impermanence is perhaps one of the most important concepts that Buddhism has brought to the understanding of reality, along with the fact that nothing exists independently. We are part of a huge interconnected network in this world. Everything is constantly changing and changes can be for the better, as long as there is a motivation in that regard.
War conflicts or the destruction of the environment have at least one common element: selfish and egocentric, immediate attitudes, for the benefit of the very few and at the cost of the suffering of many. As we are seeing, a war between two countries inevitably ends up impacting the rest of the world.
Nothing changes all of a sudden. Buddhism has no magic formula, but it offers tools to promote changes based on self-knowledge, that is, to influence the collective from the individual. In other words, self-knowledge as a starting point, for each person to reconnect with their true compassionate nature, not only for their own benefit, but for the benefit of others, can be a good start to change paradigms.
We also had the opportunity to interview Montse Castellà, vice-president of CCEB and president of Sakyadhita Spain, who answered our questions very kindly:
Buddhistdoor in Spanish: What criteria are used to select the films that will be screened at the festival? Is there a message they seek to convey through the selected films?
Montse Castellà: In the selection, we take into account that they are recently created films, but above all, the most important thing when selecting the films, is that they really transmit the spiritual values of Buddhism and not necessarily from a monastic environment. We aim to show good and well-told stories, which also convey a message of Buddhist inspiration, either through a documentary or a fictional film, with real characters and scenarios, or by interpreting situations that can reach a wide audience, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist.
In the selection, we also try to ensure that there is diversity in relation to the different Buddhist traditions. And one aspect, also relevant in the selection, is parity, in which there are films directed by women.
The message? We would love for audiences to not only enjoy the movie experience, but to be able to take home meaningful content.
Target audience of the Festival
The 2nd Buddhist Film Festival of Catalonia is aimed at a wide audience: general audiences, Buddhists and non-Buddhists, university students, families, young people and people of any age and condition who may be inspired by the Buddhist philosophy of life.
The Festival will be inaugurated by an outstanding director in the field of international Buddhist cinema. In the 2022 edition, we had the presence of Doris Dörrie, who presented her award-winning film Memories from Fukushima(Grüße aus Fukushima) as guest of honor.
In addition to the guest of honor, there will also be guests who will participate in the talks scheduled in some of the sessions.
To warm up engines, activities are planned Off Festival by a significant representation of the thirty-two Buddhist centers that make up the CCEB and represent different traditions. They will offer a varied program at their venues, with meditation sessions, workshops, film forums, talks and open doors.
We spoke with Montse Castellà to learn more about the off and parallel activities that will take place during the II Buddhist Film Festival of Catalonia (FCBC).
BDE: Could you tell us about the activities that will take place during the Catalan Buddhist Film Festival? How are these activities complemented by film screenings and what do you hope to achieve with them?
MC: There will be activities Off and parallel. The activities Off will take place before the start of the Festival and will be organized by the same Buddhist entities that promote the Festival, so that the general public will have the possibility of having contact with the different Buddhist traditions of our country. In addition, these activities will also serve as a speaker to announce the Festival.
During the Festival there will also be some parallel activities, which can be anything from surprises Flashmobs until announced events, such as musical performances or an invitation to meditate while walking. Actions that we will be implementing, as we define the billboard.
See more:
First Buddhist Film Festival in Catalonia
Catalan Buddhist Film Festival (Facebook)
Catalan Coordinator of Buddhist Entitats
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Buddhism in Barcelona: The First Buddhist Film Festival in Catalonia
Catalan Coordinator of Buddhist Entitats (CCEB)
It is a non-profit association that was founded in 2007 to coordinate and create synergies between Buddhist entities and centers in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands with the desire to present and represent Buddhism in the society in which, for forty years, it has been taking root. Some thirty members belong to the CCEB, from different traditions: Zen, Tibetan, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and others.
Dharma-Gaia Foundation (FDG)
It is a private, non-profit cultural foundation committed to the environment, which promotes, among other activities, university academic courses, conferences and seminars, exhibitions, production of videos and documentaries, publication or co-publication of books on Buddhism. It organizes courses and academic publications on Buddhism in collaboration with the Rovira i Virgili University, is a collaborator of the magazine Buddhistdoor in Spanish, and develops projects in Spain and Latin America.
Buddhist Film Foundation (BFF)
It is the organizing entity of the International Buddhist Film Festival, based in Oakland, California, USA, and which since 2003 has been present in different corners of the world, such as Los Angeles, Washington DC, London, Mexico City, Amsterdam, Singapore, Thailand, among others. In the future, the organizers of BFF intend to bring their international festival to Barcelona.
