2014 Short Film Lineup

The 2014 Urban Nomad Film Fest will again feature local Taiwanese filmmakers in its short films section, . This year more than 300 films applied to the festival, including 10 feature films, 160 short films, 65 animated shorts and 66 music videos. From these applications, we have put together eight short film programs. These include five programs for short films (28 films), two programs for animation (33 films), and the debut of Music Video Sessions, a special program where local bands and music video directors can come together to introduce their works to an audience.

There will be five prizes given to short films, with prize money totalling NT$60,000. The Big Nomad Prize $20,000) will go to the best overall short film. There will also be a Jury Prize (NT$10,000), Best Animation ($10,000), Best Music Video (NT$10,000) and Audience Choice Award ($10,000).

There are special pages for Shorts & Animation and Music Videos, here:

Shorts & Animation: http://2014.urbannomad.tw/index.php?route=product/category&path=65

Music Videos: http://www.gigguide.tw/mv2014/

And the complete list is as follows:

Opening Party in an Original Red Envelope Club

Urban Nomad is returning to Ximending for the first time in 5 years. This party will pay homage to the neighborhood, mixing a crazy retro vibe with future modern performances. The venue is unique to Ximending, a 60s-style night club. Some of the club’s old-Shanghai-style singers will perform classic songs in satin dresses, then we’ll move on to weird rock, half-naked Japanese avant-garde electronic musicians, and bands and DJs that bridge the gap between the future and the past. The host for the evening will be who else? The ultimate electronic tai-ke showman, Xiao-ying (of the film Cape No. 7) and his band, The Clippers.

Red Envelope Clubs came to Taiwan in 1960s, trying to recreate the glamour of Shanghai nightlife. Now, there are only three such clubs left in Taiwan. They are called Red Envelope Clubs, because customers give red envelopes containing tips to the singers. If you are a good enough tipper, maybe a beautiful Shanghai Rose will share a few drinks with you at your table, or maybe something more.

We will invite several of the original Red Envelope Club singers to perform early in the evening. But this won’t be completely old school. The sound system will be our own, and after 11pm, the music will turn to electronic and avant-garde. So get a taste of old Taiwan, then party like you mean it!

Time：5/10 (六/Sat) 8pm - late
Place：Fenghuang Night Club 鳳凰大歌廳
Add：5F #159 Xining S Rd (台北市西寧南路159號5樓)
Ticket： $600 (Early Bird till 4/20) / $700 (Pre Sale) / $900 (At Door) 1 drink included
Online Ticket Sales: www.indievox.com

★★★★ GROUP A (JP) 樂團介紹 ★★★★

Group A are a japanese avant-garde noise music and visual arts group from Tokyo that were formed in 2012. The group comprises Tommi Tokyo (vocal/synthesizer/beat) and Sayaka Botanic (violin/keyboard). Since the group played their first gig at an art gallery opening party in Tokyo, they have been playing gigs non-stop. Their shows consist of avant-garde blow out noise, electronic beats and performance art, such as live painting that is notoriously half-naked.

Official: http://groupAband.com/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/me.groupA
Video: https://vimeo.com/user17417143

★★★★ 夾子電動大樂隊 CLIPPERS ★★★★

The Clippers have always been about showmanship. Led by the comedian, performer and actor Xiao-ying (from the film Cape No. 7), they are one of Taiwan’s first bands to self-consciously bring retro-styles into rock. Here, Xiao-ying will prepare a special comedic set of music and comedy. He will also invite one of the regular singers from the Fenghuang Night Club to perform with the band.

Urban Nomad Warmup Block Party on Saturday -- It's free ya'll!!!

Date: 4/26 (Sat)
Time: 5-10pm
Place: LUX Cinema ( No.85, Sec. 2, Wuchang St., Ximen)
FREE ENTRY

Bring some drinks, coz this is a block party!

For this year's Urban Nomad, we want to kick off things with a free outdoor film screening and DJ block party. The film is produced by the Red Bull Music Academy and features Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Erykah Badu, Richie Hawtin, Q-Tip, Lee Scratch Perry and more than 70 other artists talking about musical creativity. Before the film, we invite DJs Zephec and Question Mark to play some music, then Marcus Aurelius will play after. Zephec was part of the the 2007 Red Bull Music Academy in Toronto, and will give an introduction to the film, talking about his experiences. Everybody come and have some fun!

Event Schedule
17:00 - 18:15pm DJ Zephec
18:15 - 19:30pm DJ Question Mark
19:30 - 21:00pm 電影 Film screening
21:00 - 22:00pm DJ Marcus Aurelius

FILM: What Difference Does it Make?
Ralph Schmerberg / 2014 / US, Germany/ 95min/ English/ Chinese subtitles

Featuring Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Erykah Badu, Richie Hawtin, Q-Tip, Lee Scratch Perry and more than 70 other artists, What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music marks the 15th anniversary of the Red Bull Music Academy -- Red Bull's longest running cultural program -- and captures the energy of the 2013 edition in New York. Every year, the academy invites musicians from around the world, allowing accomplished artists to share their experiences with younger counterparts. This film gets to the heart of what it takes to be a musician and, in the process, deals with some of the basic questions of life itself.

2014 Urban Nomad to return to Ximen

The 2014 Urban Nomad will return to Ximen, holding the festival in the heart of Taipei's film culture at the Lux Cinema on Wuchang St, known to most as simply the "movie street." The festival will be held from May 9 to 18 with a free warm-up event on April 26 or 27.

This will be the first time Urban Nomad holds the entire festival in Ximen and the first time it shows films in the neighborhood known as the home of commercial cinema in Taipei. The last time Urban Nomad was in Ximen was in 2008 and 2009, when it held its opening party at the Paris Night Club, a 1960s-era night club located above the Hoover Cinema (since rebranded as the in89 Cinema). Those parties inspired the first ever "Back to Spin", a lasting series of retro-themed parties popular among Taiwan's rockers. For the last four years, Urban Nomad has held all of its film screenings at the Huashan 1914 Arts District, initially building our own cinema in industrial warehouse spaces and last year moving to the newly SPOT Huashan Cinema, a new addition to the arts district.

James Franco監製的《Kink（暫譯：愉瘧性工業）》

In all, this year will feature around two dozen feature films, including international award-winning documentaries and locally produced feature films, a competition for Taiwanese short films, and new competition sections for animation and Taiwanese indie music videos. 

An early list of international films confirmed for this year's festival includes MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS, the tour documentary on the Grammy winning band The National. Pitchfork writes that this is "the funniest, most meta music movie since Spinal Tap" and Michael Moore has called it "one of the best documentaries about a band I've ever seen."

OUR VINYL WEIGHS A TON, a documentary on LA's indie hip hop scene, has been getting rave reviews since its world premier at SXSW earlier this month, enjoyed sold-out screenings at for its theatrical release in LA and is generating tons of excitement. The film focuses on the life and career of DJ Peanut Butter Wolf and his label, Stones Throw Records. The supporting cast is a who’s who of West coast hip hop, including Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, Mike D, Quest Love, Mad Lib, A-Trak, Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, MF Doom, Common and many others. This lineup in it self is a testament to Stones Throw and its enduring contributions to an incredible scene.

Other films we can announce at present include the James Franco produced KINK, a documentary on the world's largest producer of BDSM pornography. When you see ropes, leather or a Sybian and wonder "What the hell are they thinking?" this doc will give you an answer.

Two international docs with Taiwan connections will be included. UNHUNG HERO is a comic doc hosted by stand-up comedian Patrick Moote, somewhat in the tradition of Morgan Spurlock. Moote proposed marriage to his girlfriend on the Jumbotron at a Lakers game, but she rejected him because his penis is too small. This film is his quest to investigate the question, "Does size really matter?" His travels take him to Papua New Guinea, Korea, Las Vegas and Snake Alley in Taipei. He also does some penis weight lifting with the local chi gong sect, the 99 Shen Gong.

Our Vinyl Weights A Ton

Mistaken For Strangers

MONK WITH A CAMERA tells the story of the grandson of legendary Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland. Nicholas Vreeland grew up an international jet-setter and studied under the greatest fashion photographers of his day, Irving Penn and Richard Avedon. But at the age of 30, he gave up high society to become a Buddhist monk. He has since become a key figure in popularizing Tibetan Buddhism in the West, editing the writings of Dalai Lama into New York Times best-sellers and becoming the first Western abbot of a Buddhist monastery in 2012. As Taipei is also a hot-spot of Tibetan Buddhism, he visits several times a year and has a sizable local following.

Unhung Hero?

Monk With A Camera

展官網：www.urbannomad.tw

影展臉書：www.facebook.com/urbannomadTW

2014 Submissions List

Thank you film directors!

We are super busy enjoying your films. While we watch, we have made this public list so that you can confirm that we've received your submissions. The easiest way to find your film on this list is to use the search function: hit CTRL-F, then type the name of your film.

In all we have received over 300 submissions, including a dozen feature films and at least 65 music videos. We will announce the selections in the beginning of April. Until then, thank you for your films and your patience.

 連接 | Here is the link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgAiamB2Uj69dDgyWlFfdHlwYWVwMkdQY1h5ek5Wb3c&usp=sharing

New in 2014: Music Video Sessions!

Urban Nomad has been supporting Taiwanese short film since 2002, and now we want to expand on that with a brand new NT$10,000 prize for the Best Taiwanese Indie Music Video. That is why we are creating a new festival section called Music Video Sessions. In addition to giving a cash prize for Taiwan's best indie music video, we will also invite bands and video directors to special Music Video Sessions where they can present and discuss their works in front of an audience. The goal is to support creativity in music and film, and also generate a sense of community between musicians, filmmakers and other creative types. Music Video Sessions is created in partnership with the website GigGuide.tw, and the $10,000 prize for Best Taiwanese Indie Music Video is donated by the Revolver live house.

Submissions are super easy, especially if your video is already on YouTube or Vimeo. You can make an online submission through the following link:

2014 Urban Nomad Film Fest Call For Submissions! Shorts! Features! New Media!

DOWNLOAD THE 2014 SUBMISSION FORM

2014 DEADLINE: March 3, 2014
(no submission fee is required)

URBAN NOMAD 2014
For the 2014 Urban Nomad Film Fest, we want to work more closely with Taiwan's filmmakers, and also renew the focus of short films to include more types of content and creativity. We believe our short film segment should be more in step with changing times and technologies, because now videos are made by everyone and viewed everywhere. We will of course continue to welcome traditional short films, but in addition we will also expand the short film section to include new media, “YouTube stars” and music videos. Our goal is to present a full spectrum of creativity. So if you are an indie band with a new video, please send it in! If you have your own YouTube channel or are using video on social media, please submit your work! And if you are an indie filmmaker, you are always welcome at Urban Nomad!

SHORT FILM COMPETITION: NT$40,000 IN PRIZES 
In 2014, Urban Nomad's short film competition will have three prizes and total cash awards of NT$40,000. An independent jury will award two prizes, a top prize of NT$20,000 and a second prize of NT$10,000. There is also an Audience Choice Award of $10,000 voted by the viewers.

Short films are defined as 45 minutes or less and:
1) by filmmakers who are residents of Taiwan,
2) films produced in Taiwan, or
3) films with some strong connection to Taiwan.

There are no restrictions on nationality. Urban Nomad has the right to decide all questions of eligibility for competitions.

FEATURE FILMS and INTERNATIONAL FILMS
If you have a feature length film, or are not a Taiwanese director, we absolutely welcome you! Promoting Taiwanese films is a priority for Urban Nomad. We have screened Taiwan features in each of the last three years to sold-out audiences, introducing films like Taiwan Oyster, Godspeed Taiwan and Voices in the Clouds to local audiences. We are mainly interested in hosting Taiwan premiers of new films. If you have a new feature film, please feel free to contact us. We will work hard to help launch your film and are happy to coordinate with your plans for marketing and promotion.

Urban Nomad also welcomes international submissions for both shorts and feature-length films. We have these in our program every year, and we annually support international director visits and film screenings. If you are an overseas film director, producer or film agent and have any questions, feel free to contact us.

If you are planning to submit a feature film (longer than 45min), we suggest that you submit as early as possible, or else contact us by email with details about your film. The deadline for feature-length films is the same as for short films (March 3, 2014), but planning for the feature film programs begins much earlier, so submitting in January or February will give you a big advantage.


IF YOUR FILM IS ACCEPTED
In addition to the chance to win cash prizes, film directors gain access to Urban Nomad events including screenings, parties, discussions and other events. Your film will be listed in our annual catalog, on our website and publicity materials. It will also be seen by hundreds or possibly thousands of people in at least three cities in Taiwan.

SUBMISSION FORMAT: DVD (NTSC), .mov or mpeg2

MAIL TO:
Urban Nomad Film Fest
3F, #6, Lane 6, Sec. 1, Hangzhou South Rd, Taipei
TAIWAN

CHINESE MAILING ADDRESS:
台北市中正區杭州南路一段六巷六號三樓
 城市遊牧影展收

RULES AND SUGGESTIONS: 
 - Deadlines are for RECEIVING films (not mailing films).
 - Short films must be 45 minutes or less
 - We accept submissions of both short films and feature length films
 - Films under 15 minutes stand a greater chance of getting accepted.
 - It is an advantage if your film has both Chinese and English. Ideally, Chinese language films should have English subtitles, and all other films should have Chinese subtitles.
 - Year of production must be 2012 or later
 - Do not submit the same film you submitted in previous years.
 - Each film should be on its own, separate DVD.
 - You can send more than one DVD (and application form) per package.
 - You must include one application form for every film you submit.
 - If your film is selected, will try to screen it in a high quality format, such as HD digital file. For submissions, we request DVD, .mov or .mpg mainly for convenience of previewing. It is fine to send HD quality .mov or .mpg files.

CONTACT US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS:
urbannomadfilmfest *at* gmail *dot* com

REM KOOLHAAS screening cancellation

A power outage caused by heavy typhoon rains forced us to cancel the screening of REM KOOLHAAS: A KIND OF ARCHITECT originally scheduled for October 6 at 4:30pm. The power outage lasted two and a half hours and affected not only the Flora Expo Dome, where the screening was to be held, but the entire Yuanshan District of Taipei. We would like to thank our audience for their patience and understanding, as it was a real inconvenience to all involved. You guys are truly amazing. In 12 years of Urban Nomad, this is the first time we were ever forced to cancel a screening.

We are currently checking into various possibilities for rescheduling the screening. Please check this blog and our Facebook for any news.

Design Cinema to return: 9/27 ~ 10/6

We are feeling frothy of late, because for the second year in a row we will be able to collaborate with Taiwan Designers Week to produce a series of films on art, architecture and design: URBAN NOMAD x DESIGN CINEMA (Sep 27 ~ Oct 6). The films are all hand picked and docs that we, a bunch of self avowed art geeks, not only love, but can look forward to watching over and over again. The overwhelming theme here is modernism and the subsequent movement into postmodernism. As the body of design docs grows, that is a very major area of examination. These films give us great windows on the work and ideas of Charles and Ray Eames (designers of the fames “Eames chair“), Lallo and Massimo Vignelli (they did logos for Ford, American Airlines, and all NYC Subway signage), architect Rem Koolhaas, painter Jean Michel Basquiat (by popular demand, we are showing this film one more time) and contemporary artist Cindy Sherman (the film is by her ex~boyfriend and totally hilarious). We have Urbanized (the third installment in Gary Hustwits design trilogy, which began with Helvetica) and a highly entertaining film on childrens book author Tomi Ungerer, who was banned from publishing because he also published erotic drawings. In all there will be seven docs, 12 screenings, a neo psychedlic booth installation we are still designing, and maybe some other surprises. The film series will be held in conjunction with the largish Taiwan Designers Week exhibition. With any film ticket you can get into the exhibition for free after 6pm. Hope to see you all there.

URBAN NOMAD x DESIGN CINEMA WEBSITE: CLICK HERE!

Urban Nomad Design Cinema
Location: Expo Dome, Taipei Expo Park (台北花博公園爭艷館設計廣場區)
Dates: 9/27 (Fri) ~ 10/6 (Sun)
Tickets: NT$170元 in advance, NT$200 at the theater
Online purchase: http://tickets.books.com.tw/search/tag_search.php?tag=%AB%B0%A5%AB%B9C%AA%AA%BCv%AEi
Taiwan Designers Week: www.designersweek.tw

2013 Award Winners

Winning director Jimmie Wing with producer Joyce Wing. 

Congratulations to this years prize winners! Supporting local filmmakers through cash prizes continues to be a priority for Urban Nomad, and we are happy to see that the field of entries continues to grow, as does the audience for these short gems. Screenings took place in an open air cinema for six consecutive days, with directors present at each screening for Q&A. This years Big Nomad Prize went to Australian director Jimmie Wing for his 27 minute short EXPATZ and the Jury Prize went to Rob Jabbaz for his scabrous parody of early Disney animation. It is the first time that both Urban Nomad jury awards went to expatriate filmmakers.

The Big Nomad Prize, Jury Award and a Special Mention Award were selected by three jurors, film critic Dan Tong-mo (但唐謨), film director DJ Chen Yin-Jung (陳映蓉) and rock musician Dupi (肚皮). The Audience Choice Award was calculated from audience ballots at each short film screening, and a parallel award was given by Toshiba. You can see the results below!