BUDDHAFEST, a four-day festival with six films, seven talks and a kirtan music concert, is a consciousness-raising event inspired by Buddhist practices of mindfulness and meditation. This year, the festival takes a broad look at how mindfulness has made its way to the West, and how it is informing our approach to neuroscience, the environment, social issues, personal relationships, psychology and politics.
Film screenings will include the World Premiere of WHEN THE IRON BIRD FLIES, directed by Victress Hitchcock, whose previous work was the acclaimed film, BLESSINGS, and, CONNECTED, directed by Tiffany Schlain, which premiered at the Sundance Festival.
Speakers include Rick Hanson, author of "Buddha’s Brain", and one of the world’s leading authorities on the neuroscience of mindfulness, Cong. Tim Ryan, whose new book, "A Mindful Nation", explores the growing presence of mindfulness in various areas of American life including education, health care and the military and Tara Brach, founding teacher of the DC area’s largest meditation community, the Insight Meditation Community of Washington.
Highlighting the festival will be a concert by the top-selling kirtan sacred music artist of all time, Krishna Das. Known as yoga’s rock star, Krishna Das has taken his western-influenced blend of devotional music out of yoga centers and into sold-out concert halls around the world.
Co-founder Gabriel Riera says, “BuddhaFest’s inclusive mix of films, speakers and music shows that you don’t have to be Buddhist to seek inner peace or a deeper connection to the world. The festival is for anyone who believes that living with kindness and compassion is a good idea whose time has come.”
BuddhaFest information at: www.buddhafest.org.
Prices range from $12.50 for some events to $185 for a 4-day pass.
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