Lights! Camera! Censorship?

Lights! Camera! Censorship?

Does the term ‘Cat in Boots’ mean anything to you? Kipp thinks before the UAE starts shelling out the cash, it might do the country well to revisit its rather confusing concepts of censorship.

May 28, 2012 6:29 by Eva Fernandes

With four annual film festivals, an Oscar winning production house and several feature length films between them, Dubai and Abu Dhabi has been developing a reputation for its links with cinema. In fact, efforts to boost UAE cinema have been gracing the business sections for the past two weeks. Earlier this week, The National reported Dubai’s plans to offer a formalised financial incentive scheme for filmmakers. The plans aren’t solid right now, but there is a definite need to develop financing schemes for budding film makers.

In fact, just over a week ago, Abu Dhabi announced a new initiative which offered film makers a 30 percent subsidy. Announced at the Cannes Film Festival the incentive scheme marked a decided move from the government to take its cinematic courtship to the next level.

Re-bating and financing film projects is all very well, but Kipp can think about something else that may encourage the local film culture.

Does the term ‘Cat in Boots’ mean anything to you? Kipp thinks before the UAE starts shelling out the cash, it might do the country well to revisit its rather confusing concepts of censorship. Hey, isn’t it embarrassing enough that the children’s movie Puss in Boots was so strangely renamed?