Khyentse Norbu, a Bhutanese writer and director, has garnered international acclaim and accolades for his feature films. His debut film, The Cup (1999),premiered at the Cannes Film Festival's prestigious Director's Fortnight, earning critical acclaim and official selections at major festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Hong Kong, London, and Moscow. The film won awards at four international festivals, including the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) award at Busan and the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Norbu's second film, Travellers & Magicians (2003),was the first full-length feature film shot in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. It premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and went on to screen at numerous other festivals, including Toronto, Busan, Taipei, Sao Paulo, London, Sydney, Moscow, and more, winning three awards.
Vara: A Blessing (2013),Norbu's third feature film, was based on a short story by Bengali author Sunil Gangopadhyay and filmed in Sri Lanka. The film featured top international collaborators, including award-winning cinematographer Bradford Young and acclaimed editor William Chang, and starred Indian ingénue Shahana Goswami. Vara premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and went on to screen at several other festivals, including the BFI London Film Festival, the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, and the Tribeca International Film Festival, where it won the Best Feature Film award at the Tribeca Online Film Festival.
Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait (2016),Norbu's fourth feature film, is his most personal to date. Shot on a very low budget in remote parts of Bhutan, the film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival and was screened at numerous other festivals, including Toronto, Busan, Singapore, Malaysian International Film Festivals, and more. The film won the audience choice award at the 2016 Golden Global Awards at the Malaysian International Film Festival and an honourable mention at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.
As Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Norbu brings a profound and subtle mastery and understanding of Buddhist philosophy and practice to his films. He studied and trained with leading Tibetan Buddhist masters of the 20th century, graduated from secular schools in India and Europe, and teaches Buddhism on five continents. He is the author of several books on following the Buddhist path in the contemporary world, including the best-selling What Makes You Not a Buddhist.
Norbu also oversees several nonprofit organizations, including Siddhartha's Intent, Khyentse Foundation, 84000, and Lotus Outreach, as well as contemporary teaching and practice centers on five continents. He is responsible for the care and education of 1,600 monks in six monasteries and institutes in Asia and is the head of Dzongsar Monastery and College in Tibet, Dzongsar Khyentse Institute in India, and Chökyi Gyatso Institute for Buddhist Studies in Bhutan.
Biography:
Khyentse Norbu was born in Bhutan and is a writer, director, and Buddhist teacher. He is known as Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in the Buddhist world.
