IBFF offers film as a way for general audiences to develop a wider appreciation and better understanding of Buddhist philosophy, traditions, arts, and practices (including mindfulness).
IBFF has presented various level premieres of works by Werner Herzog, Khyentse Norbu, Doris Dörrie, Jang Sun-woo, Lesley Ann Patton, Im Kwon Taek, Babeth VanLoo, Lee Chang-jae, Rebecca Dreyfus, David Grubin, Ken Burns, Pawo Choyning Dorji, Pema Tseden, Dechen Roder, Werner Penzel, and others.
Founding Advisory Council members include Alice Walker, Richard Gere, Joanna Macy, Rudy Wurlitzer, Lisa Lu, Peter Coyote, Pico Iyer, Philip Glass, Huston Smith.
As BFF executive director Gaetano Kazuo Maida said in a 2000 interview (Inquiring Mind Magazine), "Film can open the minds of people who would never cross the threshold of a Zen meditation hall, or even a public lecture… BFF’s main goal is to be a resource, serving filmmakers and educators as well as audiences.
"[1] For the years 2005-2018, BFF offered festival-selected filmmakers a home video distribution service, Festival Media (FM).