Films on Bhakti filling up cinemas?  Yes it is happening.

In the Tweed Valley, Australia local devotees have just celebrated the second annual Bhakti Short Film Fest. The event has been held in the local Murwillumbah “Regent” Cinema.

 This year on October 3rd, guests packed the cinema to watch ten new release devotional short films.

“The turn out was quite amazing” said Ken, the cinema manager.”These days we struggle to get attendances with all the big blockbuster Hollywood spectaculars but these Hare Krishna film nights are fabulous. People are interested to see real art that has meaning and relevance.” 

The audience assembles in the screening room

The ten films selected were all new releases and were all represented very different film genres. There was the beautiful animated film “Whispers of Truth” by young Australian devotee film maker Bhaktin Hilary Tapper. “Kung Fu Monks” is a film presenting  the Mayapur Gurukula’s boys Kung Fu training program – this film was made by the gurukula boys themselves. Also shown was a very sweet Radha Krishna pastime, “Sanatana’s Samadhi” which was shot on location in the Tweed on the beautiful New Govardhana Farm.

Ishan das from the film “Kung Fu Monks”

The night concluded with “An Astonishing Temple”, which is a documentary made by Deva Gaura Hari Das on the history, design and construction process of the Mayapur Temple of Vedic Planetarium (TOVP). Sadbhuja Das the ToVP’s managing director was personally present, and invite all guests to visit the holy land of Sridhama Mayapur and to get involved in the project.

Ken the Cinema manager serves at the counter

 “We make it a feature to include as many locally made films as possible so the audience can meet the film-makers” says organiser Damodara Pandit das, “or if it is a promotional film we introduce a representative of the project. It has become a nice addition to our local devotional art scene and a great way to promote devotee artists and projects.”

There will be a Bhakti Short Film Festival held in Mayapur in February and March 2014. For more details – or if you would like to have a Bhakti Short Film Festival in your own town or temple contact Damodara Pandit das on dpddas@hotmail.com

Damodara Pandit das is a member of the ISKCON GBC arts initiative group “VANDE”. For more information visit vandearts.com or the facebook page www.facebook.com/VandeArts