Tibetan Film Season at Kagyu Samye Dzong London in Partnership with Tibet Film Festival London

In Autumn 2025, the Tibet Film Festival London successfully held the fifth edition of their unique Film Festival dedicated to Tibetan cinema. The closing film screened at the historic Rio Cinema in Dalston, Mola: A Tibetan Tale of Love and Loss featured a guided meditation and Q&A with Lama Zangmo. Building on our collaboration, KSDL will be hosting Tibet Film Festival London for a curated weekly series of Tibetan film screenings at KSDL beginning on 21st May.

Founded in 2009, the Tibet Film Festival is a global platform dedicated to showcasing the work of Tibetan filmmakers inside Tibet and throughout the diaspora. This unique festival takes place in Zürich (Switzerland), Dharamsala (India), Berlin (Germany) and London (UK), with plans to expand with festivals in Paris, Washington DC and New York this autumn. Our festivals are coordinated by dedicated teams in each city made up of volunteer curators, producers, translators and editors.

Please join us for this weekly film series for a curated selection of some of Tibet Film Festival London’s favourite films.

Week One 

21st May: Introduction to Tibet Film Festival London

"Leaving Fear Behind", directed by Dhondup Wangchen

2008, TIBET, SHORT, 25 mins

The Tibet Film Festival is dedicated to the Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen who, at great personal risk, recorded video interviews with ordinary Tibetans in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. After filming his documentary "Leaving Fear Behind", he was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison. In 2017, he was able to escape from Tibet and re-unite with his family in exile in the US. We will screen this documentary and Tibet Film Festival London co-founder Dechen Pemba, who was also involved in the making of Leaving Fear Behind, will tell the story of the film and the filmmaker that sparked a whole movement.

In addition, a selection of Tibetan short films will be screened.

Please book below for this week's screening. The tickets will go towards covering the cost of licences and permissions to show the films and for travel and so if you are able to offer more than the £5 minimum, this would be much appreciated.

KSDL X TFF London Programme:

21st May: Introduction to Tibet Film Festival London - please book below

28th May: Spotlighting Tibetan Women Filmmakers - please book here

4th June: Enlightened Vision - please book here

11th June: The Diaspora Lens - Double Bill of Short Films starring Pema Shitsetsang - please book here