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Nomad 2025 International Festival

Born at the University of Central Asia in Naryn, a mountain town in Kyrgyzstan, the Nomad Festival attempts to bridge the gap between a longstanding agrarian and pastoral lifestyle rooted in ancient nomadic traditions in the region and the ambitions of transformative industrial and economic development on the horizon. Since its inception, the festival has evolved into a space where film, art, and intellectual discourse interweave to foster dialogue and debate, guided by a simple yet powerful belief: stories, like the ancient nomads before us, know no borders.

The fourth edition of the Nomad Festival in 2025 coincides with the 25th anniversary of the founding of the University of Central Asia with its vision to promote the quality of life in the mountain communities of our region. While welcoming storytellers from around the world, we particularly seek films and projects from within the diverse communities of UCA's founding states of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, as well as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. Through screenings, pitching sessions, and workshops, the Nomad Festival creates a platform for emerging voices who challenge conventional narratives about Central Asia, supporting filmmakers who find new cinematic languages at the intersection of industrial towns, mountainous communities, ancestral pastures, urban rhythms, and local knowledge.

Nomad Festival Chronicles

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The Nomadic Image 2022
Web Cover (1)

Nomad 2023: A Living Land
Artwork

Nomad 2024: The Infinite Sky

Awards and Prizes

International Film Category
Best Fiction Film - $500 USD
Best Documentary - $300 USD
Jury Special Mention - $200 USD

Regional Film Category
Best Fiction Film - $500 USD
Best Documentary - $300 USD
Jury Special Mention - $200 USD

Regional Student Film Category* (Submissions for the Student Regional Competition can be sent to nursultan.stanaliev@ucentralasia.org, with seharnaz.janani@ucentralasia.org in CC, until June 1)
Best Film - $500 USD
Best Visual Solution - $300 USD
Most Promising Artist - $200 USD

Audience (inclusive of Regional Film Category) - Non-monetary award

Rules and Terms

By submitting to the Nomad International Film Festival, the participant acknowledges understanding and agreeing to the Festival Rules, Terms, Conditions and Guidelines as listed below. Filmmakers agree and consent that their film trailers or any other materials that present their projects may be used and/or published as part of the digital and print event programmes or promotional materials as deemed appropriate by the Film Festival Organising Committee at UCA. The filmmakers also consent to the collection, processing, and use of their personal data by UCA for the purposes and within the Festival Rules Terms, Conditions and Guidelines of UCA.

The filmmaker/institution that is submitting the film must own the rights to do so and is responsible for the content they are providing. No film will be published online unless explicitly consented to by the filmmaker. Only trailers, small clips of 15 seconds or less, or a digital poster of the film will be used for promotional materials of UCA. UCA reserves the right to make any necessary changes in the Festival Rules, Terms, Conditions and Guidelines or scheduling.

  • The films must include English subtitles (unless the spoken language is English).
  • Films must have been produced within 24 months preceding the Film Festival, ie. not before September 2024.
  • Submitted films must not have been screened on the internet.
  • Films should not exceed 25 minutes including credits.

*Films submitted to the Regional Student Film Category must be created by current student filmmakers enrolled in institutions within the founding states of the University of Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. A copy of the filmmaker's valid student ID must accompany the submission. Please send the student ID copy to: nursultan.stanaliev@ucentralasia.org.

Submission
For ease of review, we require digital copies or a link to an online platform (such as Google Drive or Vimeo). Please include a valid password in the form if this is required to access the material.
We will not accept films of poor visual or audio quality (video resolution should not be less than 1080p, 10mbps), with missing subtitles/captions.
The film category must be selected by the filmmaker.

Submission Fees
International Category Submissions: A submission fee of $10 USD applies to films submitted from countries outside the following list of regional submissions.
Regional Category Submissions: Submissions from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran are eligible for free entry (no submission fees) under the Regional Film Category. To qualify, submissions must meet the following criteria:
Location: The film must be predominantly shot within the listed countries.
Original Language: The primary language(s) spoken in the film must be those of the region.

Video Format Requirements:
MPEG/MOV
H264
Resolution 1920x1080
Bitrate: Minimum 10Mbps

Selection
Films accepted by the Selection Committee will be notified according to the notification date published on the website of the film festival. Films selected for the official screening will need to provide a download link no later than 30 days before the festival as well as .srt copy of subtitles and required materials of the film package (film stills, descriptions).
The decisions of the Selection Committee are final and cannot be appealed.
An email notification will be sent only to the submitter of the selected films. Not selected films will not be notified.

Screening
Filmmakers are responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses to present their work in public. UCA is not responsible for any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, or royalty infringement, as well as privacy and personal data violations related to the work. In the event of copyright disputes accepted films may possibly be removed from the festival.
Following the screening, winners will be announced at the Awards Night event according to the official dates published on the website of the film festival.

Important Dates

Submit the Film

Highlights from Past Nomad Festivals

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International Film Festival screening at Naryn Drama Theater during Nomad 2023 Festival.
Nomad 2023: A Living Land