Tuesday, September 27, 2005

DANIEL PEARL DAY OF MUSIC 2005

Sat, Oct 1, 2-10pm
Treasure Hill, Lane 230, Dingzhou Rd, Taipei (寶藏嚴台北市汀洲路230巷)
Free Admission


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Another one of our sidelines: this event, presented this year by the Taipei Foreign Correspondents Club and the Tavern, is annual celebration of the life of the slain journalist/classical musician and his parents' steadfast commitment to "harmony for humanity." Formerly attracting as many as 200 attendants at a night venue, this year’s will be an all-day event to accommodate more musical performers. Special guests include: MILK, BIG BRASS BALLS, TARRY BUSH, MARK ARCHERY, BO PO MO FO, JEFF AND SLAUGHTER, .22, and SPOON DE CHOP. Come and support the notion of spreading peace and harmony through music. The Tavern will provide plenty of beer and barbeque.



MAP TO TREASURE HILL
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Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Taichung premiers (!o!)

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Word gets around apparently. There are up to four new entries for UN05Taichung if the films actually get to us in time, and we're very pleased at the chance of showing some new stuff in Taichung that we've not yet played in Taipei. Above is a .jpg from one that's in the mail. In email, the director described it thusly:

"It is risque and contains graphic sexual content and has themes of suicide, masturbation, self reflection, and childish escapism."

Just about our speed.

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Urban Nomad Taichung

Happy to announce we're bringing da festival to a more colorful place: Taichung:)!!
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The Taichung details are as follows:

URBAN NOMAD 2005 TAICHUNG
SATURDAY, May 28th, 7:30 – 10:00 PM
STOCK 20, Fushing Road, Section 4, Lane 37, No 6-6,
Directly across from the tracks from Taichung Railway Station…
台中市復興路四段37巷6-6號(台中火車站後站20號倉庫)
NT$200 Admission, outdoors. Films will appear in order.

And yes!! motherfuckers, Sean made up this swell schedule, FYI: it's a distillation of the most slammin' of the 2-day Taipei event and, BTW, as a group the most volatile motion pictures circulating in Taiwan in this day and age.

UN TAICHUNG SCHEDULE

GLOBAL CRISIS: DOCUMENTARY
7:30
Boom Kenton Harmer 15 minutes
An aide worker ducks mortar shells and carries injured victims as Liberian rebels herd the population into an overflowing soccer stadium. A lesson in humanity at its worst, and lots of blood to boot.
Those Left Behind Kloie Picot 10 minutes
Taipei resident Picot filmed this footage in Sri Lanka during the second month after the killer tsunami devastated the area. She turns her camera lens to the ongoing relief effort and political turmoil of the island nation.

NEXT SECTION
8:00
I guess, who knows Jamie Wang王家敏, 6 minutes
Ever wonder how many surveillance cameras are in your neighborhood? Well this student film maker did a little research, hopping from camera to camera, eventually settling back onto the sofa and speculating just what the hell people are doing as viewed by his apartment’s surveillance system.
Savage Apartment Chang Jya Wei張家維11minutes
Five students put on wigs, fake beards, and recreate a life when people lived outdoors amongst the mosquitos. A hilarious take on modern life, and some pretty good cave-man like sets.
Carmel Machiato by Yusuke Kun 5 minutes
An erotic food thing by Japanese art/experimental film director Kun. It’s a sensual shrimp curry.
No More Sympathy For Bastards and My Lover Patrick Tsai 13 minutes
A man, fed up with his wife and adorable child, first tries to kill himself by smoking cigarettes, later throwing himself off a building. Boy, was he pissed off at his wife.

CULTURAL AMBUSH: EAST BEATS WEST
8:30
Taipei 101: A Travelogue of Symptoms James T. Hong 23 minutes
An American Born Chinese returns to his roots only to find it exactly the same as America. He trains his camera on fat Americans, local film directors, and just about anything else that comes into this spiteful gaze.
Nineteen Seventy-four by Darin Caudle 23 minutes
We didn’t ever expect anyone would make a good Taiwanese girl student-English teacher seduction movie. This film looks at the subject seriously and succeeds. It’s unflinchingly (and almost uncomfortably) real.


GET A LIFE: TAIWAN SHORTS
9:15
The Crazy 8 LAX 6 minutes
Kind of like Superfly, but at Taipei Sports Bar.
The Coffee Run Sean Scanlan 2 minutes
A fat guy caught in traffic.
Telephoney Sean Scanlan 4:30 minutes
Cell phone calls are such a pain in the ass. Fuckin goddam!
The Optimist 6 minutes
A couple out on a date, he thinks he is getting laid, she thinks he’s a loser who won’t get another shot.
Living the Dream Norman Szabo 5:30 minutes
Fiction. A man takes part in an experiment to make himself more successful.
Kai Wan Jason Sedor 4 Minutes
During a quick Taiwan tour, pro surfer Kai Otton busted some airs and hit some floaters and shit.

FEATURE
9:50
Tortured by Joy by Henry Griffin 10 minutes
A short film narrated by acclaimed hipster, socialite, and leader of NY’s Lounge Lizards, John Lurie. Friggin’ hilarious

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL: THE REST
The Tooth by Marcel Dejure 28 minutes b&w super 8
The latest surrealist directorial bow from festival co-founder Marcel DeJure, features among other things, political intrigue, a shady netherworld, mind-controlling hallucinogenic teeth and the cumbia band The Very Be Careful.
Noah, Noah Tony Wu 20 minutes
Acclaimed experimental filmmaker, Tony Wu, shows his most literal movie to date, beginning with an e-mail correspondence with a San Francisco based friend, later traveling via train and plane to a city consumed with gay consciousness

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Urban Nomad Awards 2005

THE ULEAD AWARD: for an excellent script and overall impact, to Shawn McClelland for his film The Optimist

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD: for capturing Taipei life, to Darin Caudle and David Bott for Nineteen Seventy-four

BEST SHORT NARRATIVE: for a darkly amusing take on contemporary life and failure, to Patrick Tsai for No More Sympathy For Bastards and My Lover

HUMANITARIAN FOCUS AWARD: for raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Liberia, to Kenton Harmer for Boom

BOBWUNDAYE WILD AT HEART AWARD: for efforts in documenting indigenous histories, to Dean Karalekas for Rendezvous With the Moon

BEST EXPERIMENTAL: for unwrapping reality into psycho-visual layers, to Tony Wu for Noah, Noah

PUNK PHILOSOPHER AWARD: for riduculing an entire society - ours - to James Hong for Taipei 101: A Travelogue of Symptoms

HONORABLE MENTION:
Kloie Picot for Those Left Behind
Norman Szabo for Living the Life

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Some Urban Nomad Photos

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The drama of decay and rebirth (Friday night).

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Got the urban sprawl aesthetic goin' on. Towards a new ecology (Friday from behind the screen).

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A 12x12m construction tarp with our name spray painted on it flaps in the background, our flag. (Friday: side/back view)

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And of course the bar.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

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Friday, March 25

OPENING FILM: DOCUMENTARY
7:30
Shanghai Rose by Michelle Lang 22 minutes
A young American Born Chinese goes in search of her roots, traveling with her grandmother back to Shanghai. A touching story of courage amidst war, and the trouble adjusting to change in contemporary China.

BUNUN FOCUS: COSMOS VS. HISTORY
8:00
Rendezvous With the Moon Dean Karalekas 23 minutes
A young child, disillusioned with his tribe’s performance in front of goggling tourists is consoled by a Bunun tribe elder, and told his tribe’s poignant myth of the difficulties of living under two suns.
In Our Hearts and Minds Steve Martin 8 minutes
A documentary featuring the Laipunuk Bunun Tribe and one village elder who served the Japanese army in Papua New Guinea. A first hand account of cultures in conflict and the survival of the human spirit.

STRAWBERRY WISHES: STUDENT SHORTS I
8:40
Snake 蛇 Zhou Hou-zhong 周侯仲5 minutes
Bushes, rippling water, a cow bell in the distance, and a sense of longing. A youth reaches for the sun.
A Breathing Apartment Lin Chun Jen 林俊彥 2 minutes
What if a building had lungs?
Urban Rhythm 城市節奏 Huang Wen-xian 黃文賢 5 minutes
A mix of animation and buying milk at 7-Eleven.
Killing Kafka Sice Wang 王志欽 5minutes
A re-creation of an actual murder complete with countless cigarettes rough pacing and hair raising philosophical tension.
Black Dot Summary黑點情節 Chen Zi-yu陳姿予 5 minutes
Do you open automatic doors just to hear the beep? A short catalogue of urbanites’ idiosyncrasies.

CULTURAL AMBUSH: EAST VS. WEST
9:00
Taipei 101: A Travelogue of Symptoms James T. Hong 23 minutes
An American Born Chinese returns to his roots only to find it exactly the same as America. He trains his camera on fat Americans, local film directors, and just about anything else that comes into this spiteful gaze.
Nineteen Seventy-four by Darin Caudle and David Bott 23 minutes
We didn't ever expect anyone would make a good Taiwanese girl student-English teacher seduction movie. This film looks at the subject seriously and succeeds. It's unflinchingly (and almost uncomfortably) real.

GET A LIFE: TAIPEI SHORTS I
9:45
Manipulation Darrell Gallant 2 minutes
This is sort of like cable TV in Taiwan. Actually, it’s exactly like cable TV in Taiwan.
Little Green Lake Norman Szabo 1 minute
Bitan, set to music.
Living the Dream Norman Szabo 5:30 minutes
Fiction. A man takes part in an experiment to make himself more successful.
Telephoney Sean Scanlan 4:30 minutes
Cell phone calls are such a pain in the ass. Fuckin goddam!
An Alter-ego of Thorsten Madsen by Hanna Hanna Leanderdal 4 minutes
A confused testimonial to a Danish novel.

GET YOUR PERV ON: EROTIC SHORTS I
10:00
Innocent Life by Machunfu 9 minutes
CG anime about an innocent blow-up doll who gets abused by her new owner. Sex and PVC, you can't go wrong.
Carmel Macchiato by Yusuke Kun 5 minutes
An erotic food thing by Japanese art/experimental film director Kun. It’s a sensual shrimp curry.
Shakedown: Portrait of a Club, Diary of a Dancer by Leilah Weinraub & Pilar Wiley 10 minutesA short documentary about black lesbian strippers in Los Angeles, California and their clientele. The booty is bumping, the dollars are flying, the music is off the hook!
The Pair Wang Ta-wei 汪大緯 7 minutes
It feels good, but…oh my! O my gosh!

MOVING IMAGES: EXPERIMENTAL FILM
10:45
Noah, Noah Tony Wu吳俊輝 20 minutes
Acclaimed experimental filmmaker, Tony Wu, shows his most literal movie to date, beginning with an e-mail correspondence with a San Francisco based friend, later traveling via train and plane to a city consumed with gay consciousness.
The Ghost of Huashan by Trista di Genova 28 minutes: Resident activist di Genova keeps the camera running on the last night of Huashan before the arts complex was taken over by the evil Council for Cultural Affairs. Basically, this is just a bunch of drunk people, mostly our friends. Read more about it on Trista's web site.


Saturday, March 26

FILMMAKER FORUM: HI-DEF FILMING
5:30pm
Tobie Openshaw, of the leading video software maker
Ulead, gives this free 40-minute presentation on high-definition cameras, software, and editing techniques.

RURAL NOMAD: DOCUMENTARY
7:30
Yol D’s Marata Amanda Donigi 16 minutes
In some of Papua New Guinea’s languages, a marata is the word for sago palm leaves. A marata house is one thatched with such leaves. This documentary from PNG shows 17-year-old Yol Israel Donigi weaving his roof.

STRAWBERRY WISHES: STUDENT SHORTS II
7:45
The Passage 一個過程 Chen Wei-Hung 6 Minutes
Cool images and other op-ed effects are artfully choreographed in this student film which may cause epileptic fits, dizziness, and a general mindfuck if watched for too long. Hey we warned you!
I guess, who knows Jamie Wang王家敏, 6 minutes
Ever wonder how many surveillance cameras are in your neighborhood? Well this student film maker did a little research, hopping from camera to camera, eventually settling back onto the sofa and speculating just what the hell people are doing as viewed by his apartment’s surveillance system.
Jaio Huan 交歡 Dan Jing-lin 詹京霖 5 minutes
Dali paraphrased: a melting clock.
Savage Apartment Chang Jya Wei張家維11minutes
Five students put on wigs, fake beards, and recreate a life when people lived outdoors amongst the mosquitos. A hilarious take on modern life, and some pretty good cave-man like sets.

GLOBAL CRISIS: DOCUMENTARY
8:15
Boom Kenton Harmer 15 minutes
An aide worker ducks mortar shells and carries injured victims as Liberian rebels herd the population into an overflowing soccer stadium. A lesson in humanity at its worst, and lots of blood to boot.
Those Left Behind Kloie Picot 10 minutes
Taipei resident Picot filmed this footage in Sri Lanka during the second month after the killer tsunami devastated the area. She turns her camera lens to the ongoing relief effort and political turmoil of the island nation.

CLOAKED IN IRONY: NARRATIVE SHORTS
8:45
Fries Wang Ta-wei汪大緯3 minutes
Nobody eats lunch this way. Nobody should.
Mold Wang Ta-wei汪大緯11 minutes
Comic surrealism meets film noir: A private investigator tries to recover a stolen object and get a lot of sunlight; she’s suffering from mold.
No More Sympathy For Bastards and My Lover Patrick Tsai 13 minutes
A man, fed up with his wife and adorable child, first tries to kill himself by smoking cigarettes, later throwing himself off a building. Boy, was he pissed off at his wife.

AUTEUR IN ACTION: SOLO SHORTS BY MARC D’ANDRE
9:15
Marc D’Andre is a malcontent LA-NY scenester documenting an entire era from the inside of his own apartment. That’s right, to be a guerilla, you don’t have to go outside anymore.
Vegas Marc D’Andre 2 minutes
What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas.
Good Gum Marc D’Andre 2 minutes
If you had telekinesis, that would be, like, really cool.
Hex My Ex Marc D’Andre 5 minutes
Guy who just broke up with his girl friend: “Could you put warts all over her face and make her real ugly? Hex hit man: “Do you want me to do the dog too?”

GET A LIFE: TAIPEI SHORTS II
9:25
Lady X Preview T.C. Lin 2 minutes
Local director T.C. Lin won the web-based Lady X competition (
http://www.ladyxfilms.com/) and was commissioned to make the spy series’ hour long finale. Here’s a sneak preview.
The Crazy 8 LAX 6 minutes
Kind of like Superfly, but at Taipei Sports Bar.
The Coffee Run Sean Scanlan 2 minutes
A fat guy caught in traffic.
The Beautiful Film Anne 6 minutes
Six one-minute clips from six directors around the world.
Kai Wan Jason Sedor 4 Minutes
During a quick Taiwan tour, pro surfer Kai Otton busted some airs and hit some floaters and shit.
Others to be announced...

L.A. ROCKUMENTARY
9:50
Tortured by Joy by Henry Griffin 10 minutes
Both of these films have made the rounds of the North American underground film fest circuit. Tortured by Joy is short film narrated by acclaimed hipster, socialite, and leader of NY’s Lounge Lizards, John Lurie. Friggin’ hilarious. It was recently distributed as DVD supplement to the US pop literary journal The Believer. There's a bit to read on both films if you Google them. I'd provide links but for some reason the Internet is oddly slow right now.
The Tooth by Marcel Dejure 28 minutes b&w super 8
The latest surrealist directorial bow from festival co-founder Marcel DeJure, features among other things, political intrigue, a shady netherworld, mind-controlling hallucinogenic teeth and the cumbia band The Very Be Careful.

AWARDS
10:30
Lucky draws, give-aways, and prizes for Urban Nomads of note.

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL: VARIOUS
10:45
Incarnation Tony Wu 吳俊輝 6 minutes: A film recycler, Tony Wu, presents a short film based upon found imagery which he manipulates with swatches of color and other visual distortion
Total Mobilization James T. Hong and Chen Yin-ju 12 minutes: A pretty good “ant” movie by most standards, as a long, macro lens is used to trace the all-too-short lifecycle of ants from larvae to drone armies which consume a cheese-shaped cutout of the US
Turn the Turntable, (Three Cup of) Coffee, Henry, Memory of Hair, Umbilicus: Experimental Shorts by Wang Ta-wei汪大緯 14 minutes
A Story About the Box by Machunfu 23 minutes
Is that vomit or semen on my dead gay lover?
Pili Cat by Yang Zhi 10 minutes
Grandma Yanlin by Wang Duan-yu 5 minutes.

城市游牧影展 -- 時間表

時間: 3月25日 (五) 晚上7:30-11:00
3月26日 (六) 晚上5:30-11:00
地點: 寶藏巖, 台北市汀州路三段230巷 (走到底)

關於城市游牧影展:
既將邁入第四屆的城市遊牧影展,由兩位外籍記者Sean Scanlan和 David Frazier承辦,最早只是收集朋友們的作品,選片則忠實於自創自導的獨立製片方式之非商業創作,而導演包括台灣當地居民以及台灣國際居民,或邀請國外獨立製作電影。 打破傳統電影院觀摩型態以無限制空間及自由取位方式,以自己最輕鬆的姿勢與方式欣賞電影為其特色,影展中也將穿插音樂演出,更結合影視及音效的即興表演,都是策展人的最終遠景HAVE FUN!影展發展至今像是好萊塢巨大看板陰影下,逐漸成長的一枚小香菇,今年仍是高潮不斷。正值春暖花開,3月25、26日歡迎走入寶藏嚴一起發現好電影 LET'S HAVE FUN!


3月25日 (五)

7pm
開幕片: 紀錄影輯
Shanghai Rose by Michelle Lang 22 minutes
一部以紀錄片的方式輕輕道來,由美國華僑導演,陪伴她在上海出生的奶奶,歷程拜訪中國上海。以沉緩的筆觸碰觸現代中國轉變,並帶來其疏離與渴望的相互拉距,影片將緩緩訴說感人肺腑的故事。

8:00
布農焦點: 宇宙 VS史實
Rendezvous With the Moon by Dean Karalekas 23 minutes
兩部各以部族流傳神話及記錄專訪方式,以細膩平和手法一舉劃破精神文明及人性心靈互相衝突之隱喻,令人撇見導演的哲思與妙構。

8:40
草莓夢: 學生短輯 I
台灣學生影視觀摩,型態包括喜劇、實驗、漫畫等。各導演創作議題新奇獨特,各具風格,都是令人值得期待的新影像創作者。

9:00
文化伏擊: 東方 VS 西方
Taipei 101: A Travelogue of Symptoms
James T. Hong 23 minutes
Nineteen Seventy-four by Darin Caudle 23 minutes
一部是由一位本著神秘與好奇的憧憬來到台灣取經的西方人,被現實目睹的打擊而逐漸幻滅,鏡頭的對焦在在呈現少許哀傷與憤慨。而另一部是令人未料的電影題材,成功的描寫外語老師及台灣學生的戀情,實為大快人心。

9:45
生之頌: 台北短輯 I
由五位台灣國際居民製作之影片,以生動大膽的手法,真實而虛幻的劇情交織而成的台灣生活電影筆記。

10:00
情慾倒錯: 情愛短輯
四部靜謐貪婪的作品,一觸即發,巧妙的模糊了情愛道德與欲望的界線,而後韻汩汩,力道深遠。

10:45
移動意象: 實驗特輯
一部由連獲兩屆台北電影之最佳實驗電影得主導演吳俊輝,透過一趟旅程與情感關係,連結而成的視覺旅程。
另一部是導演將攝影機鏡頭對焦游移於,徘徊停留在最後一夜華山的朋友們,彷彿不散的鬼魂?



3月26日 (六)

5:30pm
電影製作探討: 高解析度影像攝影
由領先的影像軟體ULEAD公司所提供,介紹高解析度影像相機其軟體運用、剪接技巧之詳細座談,約40分鐘。

7:30pm
鄉間遊牧: 紀錄影輯
Yol D's Marata Amanda Donigi 16 minutes
紀錄在巴布亞新畿內亞當地人利用棕櫚葉建造房屋。本片將刻意描寫17歲的男孩如何編設他的草葉屋頂。影片注入無比真誠單純的質地,卻擁有回味無窮的光環。

7:45
草莓夢: 學生短輯 II
四部由台灣學生製作的影片,各新穎節奏、幽默氛圍及敘事邏輯,讓人眼睛為之一亮。

8:15
地球危機: 紀錄影輯
Boom Kenton Harmer 15 minutes
Those Left Behind Kloie Picot 10 minutes
一部藉由賴比瑞亞叛變而犧牲無辜的生命,意境深長的探討人性最痛的一課––戰爭的戰利品為無數的熱血?
一部透過導演將攝影機的鏡頭,於斯里蘭卡被海嘯毀滅的區域,看見了救災的真實層面與島上的政治紛爭。

8:45
暗喻諷刺: 敘事短輯
這樣的午餐便當吃了妥當嗎? 以及一個女孩為長黴受苦。其兩部由汪大衛導演製作的影片,焦點緩慢,風格自然而細膩卻令人震撼,強烈帶有黑色幽默,味道濃厚的短片。
另一部則敘述一個男人厭倦了自己可愛的小孩和老婆,以抽菸進而跳樓自殺!

9:15
藝術家自導自演: MARC D’ANDRE短輯

9:25
生之頌: 台北短輯 II
由台灣國際居民製作之短片。

9:50
洛杉磯搖滾記事
Tortured by Joy by Henry Griffin 10 minutes
The Tooth by Marcel Dejure 28 minutes

10:30
頒獎典禮: 幸運抽獎及頒發各最佳城市遊牧獎項。

10:45
週六夜晚特輯:
影像及現場音效結合,影音原味呈現不同的生動面貌!

The Controversial Film

Lots of people seem to have heard of James Hong's Taipei 101: A Travelogue of Symptoms(Sensitive Version) from Max Woodworth's Taipei Times article and everyone who's read the article says they want to see it, but no one I've talked to has.

The 23-minute film came to the Taipei International Documentary Festival in December where it screened twice. Very much in the vein of Farhenheit 9/11, where Michael Moore slants a 'documentary' agains the Bush family, and Supersize Me, a half-proved indictment of McDonald's, Hong turns his camera towards Caucasians on the streets of Taipei, talks a lot shit, and uses post-colonial crit-speak to blame random individuals for a larger state of affairs that doesn't agree with him: his own identity conflict as a Taiwanese-American. This doesn't completely undermine all his criticisms, however, as he makes some good points along the way. The question is: How seriously can you take this kind of argument? Discussions will follow the film at the bar.
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James Hong's Taipei 101: A Travelogue of Symptoms(Sensitive Version) --I have no idea why Sean grabbed this still, but it's all we've got at the moment. Playing: Friday, March 25, 9pm

Hong's other film (a collaboration with his wife, Chen Yin-ju) is about ants eating a piece of cheese shaped like America: Total Mobilization. This is a very cool idea, and there's more to it, but the segments in which we learn the rules of ant societies is pretty greusome.
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Total Mobilization by James Hong and Chen Yin-ju. Playing: Saturday, March 26, 11-ish

Get Your Perv On

For those wondering about the Friday night segment 'Get Your Perv On,' here are a few stills:

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Carmel Macchiato by Yusuke Kun (Japan, Canada)

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Pair by Wang Ta-wei (汪大緯)

Also, Innocent Life by Machunfu is the photo at the very top with "Urban Nomad 4: The Schedule" over the top of it. And unfortunately we don't have a still yet from Shakedown: Portrait of a Club, Diary of a Dancer, the LA documentary about black lesbian strippers. We'll try to get that up soon.

Friday, March 11, 2005

Covered Bridge Theater

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Marco's design for our theater will use the small bridge (35m long x 7m wide) just south of the Treasure Hill site. The screen will be at the end of the bridge facing Treasure Hill so residents can watch movies from their homes if they feel like it.

Friday, February 25, 2005

UN05 mega-theater

Last night we met Finnish architect/designer Marco Cassagrande at The Wall for the Milk show, and when we told him about doing UN at Treasure Hill, he pulled out a pad and started sketching. This means he's going to help us design the "theater" - outdoors by the river - and he's got some pretty huge and wild ideas. A few years ago at the Venice Biennale for Architecture, Marco salvaged a derelict barge from the harbor and converted it into a floating park. It's just one of his internationally recogized projects, more at Cassagrande Laboratory web site. Basically, we're psyched to be working with him because 1) he'll be able to pull off something huge and hugely cool, and 2) the recycling ethos means it won't cost much.

Other news, also at The Wall last night: met up with Yuken, a Japanese friend of a friend (thanks Ozawa!), who will also be contributing some films. He's an artist/filmmaker from Tokyo/Toronto now in Taipei.

Saturday, February 19, 2005

About Treasure Hill

Treasure Hill is a pseudo-squatter community in south Taipei (near Gungguan - 公館) that has recently been saved and reinvigorated by Taipei City government in conjunction with local arts groups and numerous artists, some of them international. Treasure Hill will be the site of Urban Nomad IIII, giving it more of a drive-in kind of feel. (But please, do not rev your two-stroke loudly during the competition section.) We are also looking into tents for an indoor section. Below, Sean has posted several views of the site. We will probably hang screens from the trees against the backdrop of the river and bridges, though there are other possibilities. Hopefully, we'll be working with a certain Finnish architect to arrange the space. Also, we hope that since the space is relatively removed from residential areas (by crowded Taipei standards), we can get back to Urban Nomad I-style and make this year's film fest more of a party.

Monday, February 14, 2005


Another view of the area.. Posted by Hello

The majestic, Treasure Hill Posted by Hello

The bleachers at Treasure Hill Posted by Hello

Here is where we wanna have it... a traditional theater, before the corporations stepped in Posted by Hello

Tuesday, February 08, 2005


UN 2005 POSTER, and Free Screen Saver! Posted by Hello

Here is our UN 2005 Call For Entries! And announcement of special 5-min competition segment Posted by Hello

Stills from 2004 films

This and other stills below are from films from 2004's Urban Nomad III.



A still from the film Table Maker Posted by Hello

A short film about Taiwan Beer Posted by Hello

A still from the film ?Clay Soldiers? by T.C. Lin Posted by Hello

A still from the film ?Relax? by Jimbo Posted by Hello

A still from the film ? Dignity? by Norman Szabo Posted by Hello

A still from the film Street Pong by Les Arthur Posted by Hello

here's what we did in 2003

http://luna.sparkle.tripod.com/urbannomad/un.htm

urban nomad film fest 2003 – 城市遊牧影展
@ HWA SHAN ARTS DISTRICT. CHUNG HSIAO & BA DE.
(華山藝文特區), 1, sec. 1, pateh rd., taipei (台北市八德路一段1號)
APRIL 18 & 19.

TICKETS: 1 day nt$200, 2 days nt$300

now in its second year, the nomad continues with its simple goal of promoting films made locally in taiwan, whether they’re digital or celluloid, expat or taiwanese, professional or amateur. to us they’re all ideas, so here’s the best ideas we could find this time around. also, we’d like to thank ulead, which provided prizes for this year’s festival.

friday, april 18

8pm
experimental/art films

making maps (製造地圖) – tony wu (吳俊輝) – 21 min - 台灣重要實驗片導演2002年新作, 曾放映過在New York, Paris 和 Melbourne 的影展 – “Making Maps is my response and reaction to pornography and an understanding of pornography that’s different from its generally perceived function. The process is to experiment with semen and blood (real and fake) to create textures on pornographic pictures I collected from porn magazines and film them one by one both full and partial images. The semen and blood symbolize sexual ecstasy, orgasm, suffering and disease. The images are no longer pornography but rather physical and psychological maps in an abstract transformation through film. Technically, the film is an integration of film from different methods, such as optical printing, animated image, refilmming a film installation, and straight filming.” – Tony Wu


my uncle chen (real), or i am a niece of god - hongjohn lin (林宏璋) – 17 min – 1997 “UFO教派”的真實故事 由教派領導的姪子敘述而成 – the story of taiwan’s UFO cult of 1997, which moved to Garland Texas because its leader, Chen Heng-ming, thought Garland sounded like “godland’. the film was made by chen’s nephew, hongjohn lin, using found footage and his own impressions

24 Framerec – ella raidel – 6 min – 24 hour shots of four cities, Taipei, Johannesburg, Linz and Berlin, showing a unique portrait of the sameness and differences in these urban environments – 四個都市:台北, Johannesburg, Linz, Berlin 24小時全景瞻望

8:45pm documentary


behind the iron hog – michelle lang and charles stelzried – 22 min – 洛杉磯由黑人經營製片公司的真實敘事 – "An irreverent documentary short that looks behind the scenes of the ultra low budget American Independent feature film, I Accidentally Domed Your Son. It features Domed writer/director, Ryan 'Iron Hog' Combs (who earned his nickname by bench pressing 500lbs.); his partner, actress/producerJonnie Diarenzo; his brother, actor and music supervisor Tony Cox; his cousin "Basco" (Albert Brooks); and West Coast rappers Kurupt and Spyder (from "The Row")…a funny, original piece of Americana that captures the "insanity" that is filmmaking." – charles stelzried

9:10 shorts I

as salaam alaykum – kloie picot – 6 min – Picot went to Israel and Palestine, and shot over 30 hours of footage documenting effects the war is having on people’s lives. Several scenes include live fire, which is part of the regular life of the communities visited. This is a promo short edited to raise funding for a full-length documentary.


pie me – kelley deon – 4 min – lots of pies, lots of pies in the face


three minute movie – tim hogan - 8 mins -如果你發現路旁有一具屍體,你該如何? – a body is found by the side of the road. is it dead? what would you do?


premonition – hallie mckeig - 10 min - an art gallery full of love, death, and hypochondria - 發生在畫廊裡的愛,死,與疑病症


victim and french trailer – Eric Wilbur– 6 min - first it’s an edgar allen poe short, then it’s a simple man thrust into sultry bangkok - 兩部黑色喜劇短片


disco on mars – Lloyd Roberts - 5 min –- 薑餅人旅遊到火星 尋求迪斯可 – join Max Pixel (aka Gingerbreadman) and Hector the Vector Snowman as they boogie around through earth and space.
10pm surf/skate +
music performance by kola and the hsimen spiders

RPDX - RPDX - 4 mins – 龐克音樂錄影帶 – a punk rock video by the taichung band RPDX

roots of masalu – kyle zielinski – 20 min – 來自南台灣的衝浪記事 – 3 years of typhoon swells and endless miles of coastline from expat surfers with nothing better to do




saturday, april 19

8:00 mockumentary


redneck vampire – 45 min – mike w anderson – 一個在美國阿拉巴瑪州的男人相信自己是吸血鬼 – on a lost trip through central alabama, in search of direction and a cold beer, anderson stumbled across michael ray vanmeter, the self-proclaimed redneck vampire. armed with camera, anderson set out to document michael ray's outrageous claims of drugs, sex and eternal life, and explore the myths surrounding (redneck) vampires.

8:45 rockumentary


4 guys who just play music & happen to be in a band– olwen bedford, sean scanlan – 13 min -美國德州的後搖滾樂團 爆炸在天空 – a post rockers or glum poseurs? meet austin, tx’s explosions in the sky

dark funeral – david frazier, sean scanlan – 17 min – 此片於2003年紐約地下影展展出 瑞典黑金屬樂團記事- a Swedish black metal band talking about first satanic cults, church burnings and whether or not they fuck horses. debuted in march 2003 at the new york underground film festival

beautiful loser – olwen bedford, sean scanlan – 15 min – 一位台北記者追逐英國流行音樂團之採訪短片 – a local journalist’s half-assed paparazzi attack on the brit-pop band suede
9:30pm shorts II

ego beat – jacob yu – 2 min - 此部短片榮獲2002年金馬獎數位電影最佳剪接獎 - best editing award at the 2002 digital golden horse film festival. jacob yu is a video beatbox.

the beast – Eric Wilbur– 13 min - 私家偵探,瘋狂博士與公園裡的太極拳 – a spoof on hardboiled detectives, mad scientists and taichi in the park

nuts – the oyster – 20 min - 3 vignettes that presuppose terrorism, american vigilantism and mtv’s jackass - 試著想在台中大水溝中玩自製帆船

alphadogah - tc lin – 5 min -

the big cheese – paul Barlow – 10 min - 奇特的辦公室用工具 - an improbable tale about an unlikely piece of office equipment

10:15pm skate/surf

hi bali – jacob yu (于永傑) – 4 min - 放假去巴里島衝浪 - video journal of bali, surfing included

kent’s skate – todd tessier and kent dylan – 8 min – the title’s pretty self descriptive, actually

australian invasion – jason sedor and clayton wholley – 20 min – 澳洲人來台灣衝浪 - showcasing Taiwanese cultureand never-before-seen surfing footage , this documentary chronicles the day to day adventures ofthree Australian surfers as they search this island for its most coveted and elusive break.
11pm music performance + film


cricket, a band from taichung that once wandered off into the abstract only to finally return, meets tony wu’s psycho shower, a film remix of the classic hitchcock shower scene



*schedule is subject to change

sponsored in part by:

Sunday, February 06, 2005

A complete list of films shown at UN 2004

Friday

8:00
“Writus Concretus”
18 min
English
Mark Jarrett
Richard Benton
One man deals with writer’s block and a bad case of the blues.

8:30
“Abed Qusini” an excerpt from the documentary “Shots that Bind”
12 min
English
Kloie Picot
A glimpse at the life of a Palestinian photojournalist.

8:45
“Soldiers under Command”
17 min
English
Matt Luem
Christian metal band Stryper makes a comeback.

Short Program
9:15
“The Crack” 裂痕
5 min
Chinese
Weng Chun-yuan 翁淳淵
A young man traces a crack back to his childhood.

“Chasing” 追
8 min
No dialogue
蕭仲? Su Chong-???
An overturned table haunts the subject of this short film.

“City Limits”城市?界
6 min
No dialogue
Wei Hsiao-ching
Cruising through Taipei on a scooter – with a camera.

“Swearing”
7 min
English. Some offensive language
Marc D’andre
Try swearing off swearing for a day. The results may surprise you.

The Locust
3 min
Music
Matt Luem
Marc D’andre
The Locust performs “Caffeine sausage, we’d like to see you in the office.”

“Retreat”
4 min
English
Tim Hogan
The “I Ching” meets a secluded mountain dwelling.

“Flying Antaur”
1 min
English
Norman Szabo
An advertisement for an aerodynamic notebook computer.

“Wild Western”
8 min
English, with some Chinese
Jacques van Wersch
A love story set in Taiwan’s largest theme park.

“Relax”
5 min
English
James Howard
An ironic take on the meditative act of writing Chinese characters.

A/V Presentation
10:00
The Juxtapatones accompany video productions directed by James Thomas (“Bali and Danshui”) and Chen Shao-chin 陳少欽 (“Luluone Laubausu” 在扥布蓋的1983)
10:45
“UNRAP Japan”
22 min
English
A cover-up job set in the slimy underbelly of Okinawa.



Saturday
Early Bird Special
Come early and you get to see 45 minutes of extra programming at no extra cost
6:45
“Tongue”
45 min
English
Hannah Barnard
Two girls find themselves washed up in an Asian country, teaching English, trying to come to grips with the alien environment, and contemplating their failed musical careers. Their one release from the boredom gets them into trouble.

8:00
“Lady X”
17 min
English and Chinese with Chinese subtitles
TC Lin
Lady X travels to Taipei, Taiwan, where she sends sleeper agent Graham Fagan on a quest to recover a curious artifact.

8:20
“Legend”
32 min
English
Olwen Bedford
A reporter goes beyond skin deep as he covers an amateur fashion show at the American Club in China (in Taipei).

Short Program
9:00
“Song for Killing Summer” 夏日酷署的?歌
7 min
Chinese
Hsieh Guang-cheng 謝光誠
A disturbing story juxtaposing the voice of a woman being questioned about a rape and the death of a mosquito.

“Table Maker” 桌之生
3 min
No dialogue
Yang Chih-lung楊支龍
A suspenseful short with twist ending.

“Gratitude” 感謝
3 min
No dialogue
Chang Chia-wei 張家維
When all you've got to wear is underwear, you need something more than a cigarette to keep you warm.

“Choppy the Chimp” Part 1
1.5 min
English
Jay Speiden
Meet Choppy the Chimp. He means well, but with cleavers for hands, Choppy doesn't tend to make lasting friendships.

“Hsinhai”
3 min
No dialogue. Taiwanese song
Terry Hornsby
Joe Zagorsky
A live action animation celebrating the sights and sounds of Taiwan.

“Choppy the Chimp” Part 2
1.5 min
English
Jay Speiden
Choppy returns. Could his cleaver hands solve a thorny problem?

Black Dice
3 min
Music
Matt Luem
Black Dice perform “Art Piece” in this innovative music video.

“Here Comes Greatness”
5 min
English
Matt Luem
Greg Fiering
An unfinished documentary look at backyard wrestling.

Dignity
5 min
English
Norman Szabo
A romantic dinner, a thoughtful host, struggling thespians striving to realize their artistic dreams ... and a heartfelt plea for money.

Street Pong
7 min
English
Les Arthur
Ping pong breaks out of the basement.

A/V Presentation
10:00
David Chen and Tim Hogan perform in accompaniment to the short film “Sky Minded” (Directed by Tim Hogan).

Additional Shorts
10:30
Armageddon
3 min
English
Norman Szabo
Slam poetry from Oregon with video from Shanghai.

Chateau Shadow
7 min
No dialogue
Tim Hogan
Martial arts set to electronic music.
10:50
Shawn’s movie
60 min
Shawn McClennan
Team building among MacDonalds employees of the year.

Sunday
Feature
6:00
“ Nobody Needs to Know”
95 Min
Aza Jakobs
You must be willing to die.

A Chinese Description of UN 2004 城市遊牧電影節2004

城市遊牧電影節2004

時間: 3月26-28日晚上 7-11pm
地點: 華山藝文特區的四連棟 (北市八德路一段1號)
入場券:一日券$200, 二日券$300

城市遊牧電影節 (URBAN NOMAD FILM FESTIVAL) 為台北唯一獨立影展,主旨為推動台灣當地製作之短片與數位電影。去年第一屆的城市遊牧電影節 (2002年3月8-10日) 放映了 20多位導演的電影,包含台灣藝術家鄭淑麗的IKU、吳俊輝的實驗片、以及多位台灣當地與台灣國際居民所製作的電影,片長多為2-15分鐘。

今年的電影節將以:於2003年紐約地下電影節 (New York Underground Film Festival) 首次登場的 “黑金屬音樂之記錄片” (Dark Funeral: a Black Metal Documentary)、於Paris, Melbourne和New York的同志影展參與的吳俊輝的近期新作品、2002年金馬獎數位短片最佳剪接得主于永傑的 ”自狗節奏” 、藝術家林宏璋之作品等都為此屆高峰。另一部份為衝浪與滑板的影片---此為台灣新類型的製作。完成的時間表與各片的簡介資料都在網路上: : http://luna.sparkle.tripod.com/urbannomad/un.htm

去年有多位導演共同參與影展活動,藉著與導演溝通對話使其活動更具人性化而展現其真實性。因此今年我们將以影片咖啡座的方式取代電影院的型態。

EXPO EXTRA 由兩位外籍記者Sean Scanlan和David Frazier成立/於2000年3月,曾舉辦10多次活動包括:頌詩會、戲劇、電影節以及單次的 “台灣老外帥哥選美” 活動。同時也出版過文學雜誌以及文學網站,都頗受好評。


連絡人士:
Sean Scanlan 0922-428-070
David Frazier 0930-371-036


Urban Nomad 2004 rundown

urban nomad film fest 2004 –
@ HWA SHAN ARTS DISTRICT.
( pateh rd.,sec 1, no. 1, taipei
March 26 & 27.

TICKETS: 1 day nt$200, 2 days nt$300

now in its third year, the nomad continues with its simple goal of promoting films made locally in taiwan, whether they’re digital or celluloid, expat or taiwanese, professional or amateur. we conceive “film” as an “idea” so here’s the best ideas we could find. also, we’d like to thank our sponsors for providing prizes that we will distribute to some of the better films this year. The following is a tentative list of films and schedule for Urban Nomad 2004

friday, march 26
8pm
opening film
The making of a legend 30 min, olwen bedford, a newspaper assignment turns at the Taipei American Club turns into a life changing event.
9:00 shorts I
Mosquito 1 min, h. gerard, 1 min, a young woman finds an innovative way to solve her mosquito problem

Street Pong 10 min, l. Arthur, outdoor ping pong,

Black dice 2 min, m. luem, a video montage of new york’s Black Dice in all of their noisy, abstract brilliance

Lady X 20 min, tc. lin, 20 min , a car chase, a shoot out, and the scramble for clues as an Internet saga arrives in Taiwan for two installments.

Atash 10 min, l. arthur, a Nantou picnic turns into a musical odyssey..

Writus concretus 15 min, m. jarret, a writer battles the dreaded writer’s block and a bad case of the blues
10pm experimental +
music performance by kola

Fuji Rock 2004 s.scanlan, 12 min, snapshots from Japan’s largest outdoor rock fest




saturday, march 27
7:30 feature

Nobody needs to know 95 min, aza jacobs, an innovative black and white feature shot entirely with security cameras, retelling the life an actor, and the pains of rebellion.
9:00 shorts II

Wild western- 7 mins, j van wersch, a trip to leofoo village reveals the last cowboys in Taiwan.

Soldiers under command, 17 mins, m. luem, the return of Christian metal band Strypper and all of their devoted fans o

One man blues – 12 mins. s. scanlan, a battle between solo blues artists: bob log and the legendary tigerman.


10pm music performance + film

d. chen and muddy river boys play a live musical score


Thursday, February 03, 2005

Meeting Notes

Just an update.

At our exec meeting held over a few pints of guinness at the tavern, we have agreed to the following items.

1) we will begin a blog.
2) we will host the festival on March 25 & 26th
3) we will have tents
4) and the festival will be held at Treasure Hill (application pending)

Films mentioned for possible inclusion in the festival include:
1) "Manipulation" by Darrel Gallant
2) "Above and Below" by Paul Barlow
3) "Rendez Vous with the Moon" by Dean Karalakas.
(if you are one of the abovementioend films or filmmakers, can you send me a copy right away... me address is Kin Men STreet, Lane 12, Sublane 1, No. 2, Taipei Taiwan)

Also,
Tim Hogan sent me a text message which I will attempt to answer. The question pertains to our special 5-minute competion segment where we ask filmmakers to include this scene in their movie.

The scene involves a cell phone, and the following text message "Where are you?".

Urban Nomad blog appears

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