Los Angeles, CA -- Here's something to meditate on: The first-ever International Buddhist Film Festival gets underway tonight (Nov. 20) in Los Angeles.

In response to the huge explosion of interest in the religion during recent years, a group of Buddhists and filmmakers decided to establish the festival to bring Buddhism to a general audience.

There will be no chanting or meditating at the film fest, though. As festival executive director Gaetano Kazuo Maida says, "This is about cinema."

However, several Tibetan lamas and Zen holy leaders have been invited, as well as prominent Buddhists like Richard Gere.

Fifteen films will be screened over the four-day festival, including documentaries about Buddhist scholars and activists.

More unusual screenings include a "King of the Hill" episode entitled "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Buddha" and the Tim Robbins movie "Jacob's Ladder," which is loosely based on "The Tibetan Book of the Dead."

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