THUS HAVE I SEEN
Buddhist Film Festival 2018 had come and gone. It was my 3rd edition
in the festival’s history of 5, and I enjoyed it as much as ever. Preparation
for an edition of a THISBFF usually takes 18 months from start to end, and it
begins with the earliest stage of films sourcing. My involvement in this 2018
edition probably began about a year ago, when the film programming team
convened to begin screening films and giving our opinions.
On my part, I probably
watched and reviewed about 30 films (out of a bigger pool), amidst my wedding
preparations that coincided in the same period. The official selection of films
had to be finalized in around March this year, which was when my wedding took
place. I remember the first quarter of 2018 was an exceptionally busy period,
but all things went smooth and well nevertheless.
With the finalization of
our 16 films, preparations went full steam ahead with the other necessities
like marketing, publicity, merchandise etc. I loved how everyone seemed to be in
their own roles optimally, contributing effectively to the cause. To me, I witnessed a high-performing team at work, probably because most of us had been in the
committee for a few editions to know exactly what we should do.
It was heartening to
see how the team stayed strong and close when some buzz came out following
reports in the print media. An air of controversy seemed to linger around the
selection of an R21 film, which eventually was a sold-out screening. The
committee remained united in the decision, because we stood by the very fundamentals
of why we organize a THIS Buddhist Film Festival in the first place. I couldn’t
be any prouder being in this committee than ever, and I am firmly certain that
this little saga had made us more resilient and more resolved to continue in
our Dharma propagation (through films) cause in future.
The 8-day film
festival week was a very busy one for me – reporting to Shaw Lido every day without fail. But
it was tremendously fulfilling and energizing! In fact, every weekday, I was
only looking forward to reporting to Shaw Lido after work, and it kept me
motivated throughout the day. My role during the week was to help at the
merchandise booth, and somehow the daily hustle and bustle at the booth energized
me much -- I don't think I felt exhausted at all. It is almost akin to the saying about “If you do what you love, you'll
never work a day in your life.” (Ok not that my passion lies in merchandise
sales or retail or what, but that I’m passionate about the cause of the film
fest). I guess one other thing that I will relish in, would be the strong
camaraderie of the fellow committee members. Though we would only meet each
other while working on this project, it would always feel like a happy
gathering once every 2 years at Shaw Lido.
Anyway, working on
this film festival edition after edition is a personal opportunity for me to
grow. I also do hope that our fans and supporters enjoyed our specially-curated
line-up of films that were thought-provoking and usually-not-screened in a
commercial setting. I am always touched by the great support that some of the
supporters rendered, and in this year’s edition too, I’d seen many patrons
that came screening after screening.
Thank you fans,
supporters and the other 5,600 audience who bought tickets and made it yet
another successful biennial event. Thank you volunteers and sponsors, for the
help that you had rendered us prior to and during the 8-day festival.
Like what Cell said in
the closing speech, “We shall now take a 6-month break and watch other lame
movies, before we begin yet another 18-month preparation once again”.
See you in 2020!
人生是黑白的.
4:17 PM <3
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