Second Edition of the Buddhist Film Festival of Catalonia, Spain to be Held in October 2024

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Second Edition of the Buddhist Film Festival of Catalonia, Spain to be Held in October 2024

By Justin Whitaker
November 3, 2023

The second edition of the Buddhist Film Festival of Catalonia (Festival de Cine Budista de Catalunya, FCBC) has been officially announced by the Catalan Coordinator of Buddhist Entities (Coordinadora Catalana d ’Entitats Budistes, CCEB) and the Dharma-Gaia Foundation (Fundación Dharma-Gaia, FDG). The festival, which successfully debuted in 2022, will again be held at the Verdi cinema in Barcelona, Spain, offering an enlightening cinematic experience from 23–27 October 2024.

The FCBC, a collaborative venture between the CCEB and the FDG, brings together a selection of recent or unreleased Buddhist films and documentaries, continuing its mission to acquaint the Catalan public with the core values and principles of Buddhism. These values include non-violence, compassion, interconnectedness, and environmental protection.

The 2022 film festival. From left: Mònica Pagès, Fina Íñiguez, Nuria Fellonar, film director Doris Dörrie, and Montse Castellà. Photo by Ferrán Vergés

A notable feature of this year’s event is the all-female leadership team. Montse Castellà, representing the CCEB, and Fina Íñiguez, representing the FDG, will co-direct the 2024 festival, building on the success of the inaugural festival. Their approach for this edition remains unchanged in terms of format, featuring a five-day non-competitive festival showcasing eight recently produced films. The festival will also include double features and post-screening discussions with experts in the field.

While next year’s festival retains aspects of previous successful film festivals, it also brings fresh perspectives on the Buddhist philosophy of life, aimed at further propagating the seeds of wisdom to a broader national and international audience.

In a translated interview provided to BDG, Fina Íñiguez, one of the co-directors, expressed her expectations for this year’s festival, saying: “We aspire not only to repeat the success of the first edition but also to increase it. Our goal is to share the wisdom of Buddhism with an even wider audience and provide a platform for meaningful discussions.” (Buddhistdoor en Español)

When asked about the role of Buddhism in today’s world, Íñiguez commented: “Non-violence, meditation to achieve peace of mind, and respect for all beings and the environment, are possibly some of the values and practices most linked to Buddhism in general. But impermanence is perhaps one of the most important concepts that Buddhism has contributed to the understanding of reality, along with the idea that nothing exists independently.” (Buddhistdoor en Español)

The festival’s film selection focuses on movies that authentically convey the spiritual values of Buddhism, transcending monastic settings. Diversity across different Buddhist traditions and gender parity in the films are among the key criteria during the selection process.

Montse Castellà, vice president of the CCEB and president of Sakyadhita Spain, described the message they hope to convey: “We aim to offer well-told stories that inspire both Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. The films are carefully chosen to carry a message of Buddhist inspiration to a wide audience, Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike.” (Buddhistdoor en Español)

The Buddhist Film Festival of Catalonia remains accessible to a diverse audience, including the general public, university students, families, and individuals of all ages who may find inspiration in the Buddhist philosophy of life.

The festival’s tradition of featuring distinguished directors in the field of international Buddhist cinema will continue. The 2022 edition saw the celebrated filmmaker Doris Dörrie presenting her award-winning film Memories from Fukushima (Grüße aus Fukushima) as the guest of honor.

The event will also include a range of off-festival and parallel activities offered by the 32 Buddhist centers comprising the CCEB, representing different Buddhist traditions. These activities include meditation sessions, workshops, film forums, and talks, with the aim of enriching the overall festival experience.

In the context of global challenges such as wars, climate crises, and spiritual unrest, the teachings of Buddhism continue to offer valuable insights and tools for individuals and society at large. The second edition of the Buddhist Film Festival of Catalonia aspires to contribute to the dissemination of these teachings and to promote a more compassionate and interconnected world.

As the festival approaches, it seeks to bring people together, fostering a deeper understanding of Buddhist philosophy and inspiring positive change, both on an individual and collective level.

Justin Whitaker

Dr. Justin Whitaker is a Senior Correspondent for Buddhistdoor Global (BDG). Previously, he was a visiting instructor at Hong Kong University's Centre for Buddhist Studies. He holds a PhD from the University of London, where his work on comparative philosophy focused on early Buddhist ideas and the ethics of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). He is the author of “Reflecting on Meditation’s Ethics: Ignatian ‘Spiritual Exercises’ and Buddhist ‘Mettā-Bhāvanā’,” (Journal of Inter-Religious Studies, 2014) and co-author with Douglass Smith of "Reading the Buddha as a Philosopher" (Philosophy East and West, 2016) and "Ethics, Meditation, and Wisdom" in the Oxford Handbook of Buddhist Ethics, 2018. He currently lives in Missoula, Montana with his wife, daughter, and their cat after an exciting two years living in Hong Kong. His column, Western Dharma, is published occasionally.

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