"TRIRATNA" International Buddhist Documentary and Animated Film Festival "Three Jewels"

About

International Film Festival "TRIRATNA" Established at the Ivolginsky Datsan

The 1st "TRIRATNA" International Buddhist Documentary and Animated Film Festival "Three Jewels" will take place in Buryatia on April 7–9, 2027.

BURYATIA, September 10, 2026. Today, the Ivolginsky Datsan hosted the first public presentation of TRIRATNA — the International Buddhist Documentary and Animated Film Festival "Three Jewels." The inaugural edition of the festival will be held on April 7–9, 2027. The program will feature film screenings, cultural and professional events, and an awards ceremony.

The festival is established by the decision of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, with the blessing of Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheev. The Chairman of the festival is Did Khambo Dagba Ochirov.

A Festival Born Within a Living Tradition
For TRIRATNA, the Ivolginsky Datsan is more than just a venue. The festival is created within the space of an active Buddhist tradition, where spiritual education, culture, and modern social life coexist side by side.

At the same time, TRIRATNA does not limit the concept of Buddhist cinema to films explicitly about Buddhism. The festival welcomes films exploring inner search, philosophy, nature, human relations, and spiritual experience.

The program centers on the human being and their inner world, compassion and non-violence, human-nature relationships and ecological responsibility, cultural heritage and modernity, family and children, intercultural dialogue, and the pursuit of peace through mindfulness, education, and culture.

Nearly 200 Submissions and an International Team
By the time of the first public presentation, the festival had already received nearly 200 submissions from various countries. The current geography includes Buryatia, Moscow, Kalmykia, St. Petersburg, Tuva, Mongolia, Novosibirsk, and other regions of Russia and foreign nations.

The international nature of the festival is also reflected in its professional structure. The jury includes:

Budsurenгийн Tumen-Olzii — film director, screenwriter, producer, and head of the "Mongol Kino Negdel" state enterprise (Mongolia).

Galina Petrovna Leontieva — director and President of the Documentary Film Association of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia.

Dymbryl Gurubazarovich Dashibaldanov — Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy and Rector of the D.-D. Zayaev "Dashi Choinhorlin" Buddhist University.

The Program Director of the festival is Svetlana Maksimovna Munzuk from Tuva — director, screenwriter, Honored Worker of Culture of the Republic of Tuva, and President of the Maksim Munzuk "Dersu Uzala" Foundation. She is currently shaping the inaugural competition program. Among the submissions received so far is a co-production between Russia and Mongolia.

Work is Well Underway
In a short span of time, General Producer Dzhangar Tyurbeev brought TRIRATNA into the international arena. Within just a few weeks, the team managed to establish a solid structure, assemble a prestigious international jury, appoint a program director, and open submissions for films worldwide.

The festival has already finalized its awards system. On the eve of the presentation, the three main accolades of the first TRIRATNA festival were approved: Best Feature Documentary Film, Best Short Documentary Film, and Best Animated Film. These are designated as the highest awards of the festival in their respective categories.

Additionally, five special prizes have been established: Best Protagonist Portrait, Philosophical Depth, Ecological Message, the Audience Award, and the Special Prize of the Ivolginsky Datsan.

Submissions will remain open until February 5, 2027, and the official selection results will be announced on March 3, 2027.

Cinema, Education, and Professional Dialogue
The April program will extend beyond film screenings. The organizers are preparing masterclasses on producing and filmmaking, meetings with professors and lamas of the Buddhist University, panel discussions, and roundtables.

Partnerships
TRIRATNA has developed its own comprehensive partnership framework. It includes statuses for a Strategic Partner, Main Award Partner, Program Partner, Infrastructure and Institutional Partners, as well as Festival Patrons.

Awards

On the Establishment of the Main Awards of the 1st "TRIRATNA" International Buddhist Documentary and Animated Film Festival "Three Jewels" 2026–2027

For the purpose of forming the awards system of the 1st "TRIRATNA" International Buddhist Documentary and Animated Film Festival "Three Jewels", and pursuant to Section 6.1 of the Festival Regulations,
IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED:

Within the "Documentary Cinema" and "Animated Cinema" nominations provided for by the Festival Regulations, to establish three main awards of the 1st TRIRATNA Festival, two of which shall be awarded within the "Documentary Cinema" nomination and one within the "Animated Cinema" nomination:01. Best Feature Documentary Film
Awarded for: An outstanding feature-length documentary work that reveals human nature, culture, spiritual experience, or human relations with the world.02. Best Short Documentary Film
Awarded for: An outstanding short documentary work distinguished by the power of its concept, artistic expressiveness, and depth of content.03. Best Animated Film
Awarded for: An outstanding animated work in which the artistic form reveals the theme, idea, and inner world of the film.

The main awards shall constitute the highest accolades of the 1st TRIRATNA Festival in their respective categories.

The laureates of the main awards shall be determined by the Festival Jury in accordance with the Festival Regulations.

This decision establishes the main awards of the 1st TRIRATNA Festival to be held in 2026–2027.

Rules

Eligibility and Language Requirements

Documentary films created by both professionals and amateurs no earlier than February 1, 2015, are eligible for the competition.

All films must be in Russian, Mongolian, or English, or have subtitles in one of these languages, regardless of the country of production.

Copyright and Content Regulations

We accept submissions only from the authors or their authorized representatives who hold written permission from the author.

Videos, sounds, texts, and music used in the film must not violate copyright laws. Copyright infringement serves as sufficient grounds for disqualification from the festival.

The use of profanity is discouraged. Films containing profanity will only be admitted if it is pre-removed or bleeped out by the applicant.

4.6. By submitting an application, the rights holder grants the festival non-exclusive rights, free of charge, to screen the film at festival venues and to use film stills and texts in the catalog, website, and press releases.

Documentation and Electronic Communication

5.1. All documents are processed in electronic format and do not require hard copies.

5.2. The parties use a simple electronic signature, which is defined as the participant's email address.

5.3. Directorate's Email Address: mega-lines@mail.ru.

5.4. Participant's Email Address: The email address from which the application was submitted.

5.5. All correspondence is deemed to be sent by the respective party. The account owner bears full responsibility for securing access to their email and for the authority of the persons using it. Actions taken from an email address are considered the actions of that party unless proven otherwise.

5.6. The applicant bears sole responsibility for the accuracy of the provided information and for holding the rights to the film. The organizers do not verify authorities but reserve the right to request supporting documents.

Premiere Requirements

No premiere requirement

Jury and Organizers

The 5-member jury currently includes:

Budsurenгийн Tumen-Olzii (Mongolia) — film director, screenwriter, producer, and Head of the "Mongol Kino Negdel" state enterprise.

Galina Petrovna Leontieva — director and President of the Documentary Film Association of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia, representing the Russian professional filmmaking community.

Dymbryl Gurubazarovich Dashibaldanov — Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy and Rector of the D.-D. Zayaev "Dashi Choinhorlin" Buddhist University.

The Program Director of the festival is Svetlana Maksimovna Munzuk from Tuva — director, screenwriter, Honored Worker of Culture of the Republic of Tuva, and President of the Maksim Munzuk "Dersu Uzala" Foundation. She is currently shaping the inaugural competition program.