Khyentse Norbu.

In 1961, Khyentse Norbu was born in Bhutan to Thinley Norbu and Jamyang. He studied and trained with leading Tibetan Buddhist masters of the 20th century, then attended secular schools in India and Europe. He graduated from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. This traditional and secular education shaped his dual path as a lama and filmmaker.

His first film, The Cup 1999, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight and won four international awards, including a FIPRESCI award at Busan and an audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival. His second film, Travellers & Magicians 2003, was the first full-length feature film shot in Bhutan, premiering at the Venice International Film Festival and winning three awards. Vara: A Blessing 2013, based on a story by Sunil Gangopadhyay and filmed in Sri Lanka, premiered at Busan and won Best Feature Film at the Tribeca Online Film Festival. His fourth feature, Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait 2016, shot in remote Bhutan, won the audience choice award at the Malaysian International Film Festival and an honorable mention at Toronto.

Beyond filmmaking, Norbu is a Buddhist master who teaches on five continents and has authored several books, including the best-selling What Makes You Not a Buddhist. He oversees nonprofit organizations such as Siddhartha’s Intent, Khyentse Foundation, 84000, and Lotus Outreach.

Khyentse Norbu is a Buddhist monk, known by the title Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. He is responsible for the care and education of 1,600 monks in six monasteries and institutes in Asia. He serves as head of Dzongsar Monastery and College in Tibet, Dzongsar Khyentse Institute in India, and Chökyi Gyatso Institute for Buddhist Studies in Bhutan. His parents are Jamyang and the late Thinley Norbu, a Buddhist teacher.

Travellers & Magicians 2003 was the first feature film shot in Bhutan, launching the country’s cinema industry. The Cup 1999 won multiple international awards, including a FIPRESCI award at Busan and an audience award at Toronto. These films introduced Himalayan cinema to world festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Toronto, and Busan. Norbu uses his background as a lama to bring Buddhist themes to film, reaching a global audience.