The fourth Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival is a true independent film festival, whose stars are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The festival began with a kick-off party on Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Friesen Gallery in Ketchum and ended on Monday, Sept. 29, with a Soul Healing workshop at the Community Library, with films screening at the Sun Valley Opera House and at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey throughout the weekend.
The festival shows documentary films made by passionate and dedicated filmmakers, most of whom self-funded their projects. These filmmakers have traveled to the ends of the earth to tell stories of compassion, healing and spiritual enlightenment.
This year's festival may have seen a lighter attendance than past festivals, though the numbers from the Sun Valley Opera House and the Liberty Theatre are still being tallied.
"We made some different changes this year," said festival Executive Director Mary Gervase. "We moved the festival one week later so we did not compete with Magic Lantern's fall film festival. We also repeated films, which we have not done in the past."
In addition, the festival included films by youth and incorporated educational experiences for Wood River Valley students.
"The kids' involvement was huge, and it really came together," Gervase said. "For the film 'Wardance' The Community School students came together and had a dialogue about it. For the film 'Divided We Fall,' the Wood River High School students prepared and wanted to show the film at school."
The youngest filmmaker at the festival, Angad Singh, screened his 22-minute film "One Light" twice and spent an entire day at Wood River High School in Hailey speaking to over 400 students and doing a presentation every hour.
"It's a reality check to see the world through young people's eyes," Gervase said. "The schools see the value of the film festival. In the past there was some resistance to be involved, and we still have a ways to go."
This year the festival contracted to Sun Valley Events, which Gervase said was a step in the right direction, but the festival needs corporate sponsorship and money from foundations. Gervase said the festival will continue to work on strengthening marketing and thinking about the time of year the event is staged.
"We have the product identified," Gervase said. "Films might not be as well crafted, but the message is important."
Festival highlights included a well-attended panel discussion at the Sun Valley Opera House, "The Doctor and the Soul: The Art of Healing," with Dr. David Shlim and Dr. Noami Remen, moderated by Sun Valley Center for the Arts Director of Education and Humanities Britt Udesen. Both doctors discussed their traditional medical training and their desire to practice medicine with an approach for compassion.
"Our compassion matters, and it's the future of the world," Remen said. "Without compassion, there is anger."
Another highlight at the the Liberty Theatre in Hailey was a screening of "Rumi Returning." The film was made to coincide with the 800th anniversary of poet Rumi's birth and followed his life from the northern Persian Empire to Konya, Turkey, where whirling Dervishes continue to celebrate his legacy.
Rumi is the most-read poet in America today, thanks in large part to the translations of Coleman Barks, who will visit Sun Valley for the culmination of the Winter Feast for the Soul spiritual practice period in February. Kell Kearns and Cynthia Lukas plan to film his visit for their current work in progress, "Rumi and Friends."
Tony Evans contributed to this article.
Participants in the Soul Healing workshop at the Community Library in Ketchum practice soul-healing techniques. Photo by Sabina Dana Plasse
