First there was Hollywood, then Bollywood and Nollywood, and now—given the rise of filmmaking in the Gulf—something called (very annoyingly) ‘Abu Dhabi-Wood’. The Gulf region is pumping billions of dollars into its nascent film industry. At the Doha Tribeca Film Festival last weekend, for instance, it was announced that a Qatari company has launched a $200 million movie fund to finance at least 10 projects over the next five years.
And last year, the Abu Dhabi Media Company launched the mammoth Imagenation, a $1 billion fund set up to “develop, finance and produce full length feature films and digital content for Arabic and international markets”.
These are great initiatives for the Arab world. Anything that promotes local content creation is, I think, a good thing (especially given Hollywood’s habit of peddling negative stereotypes about the Arab world).
But I can’t help thinking that these Gulf film funds are wasting their money. The reason for this is simple: the piracy problem in this part of the world is so severe that content creation just doesn’t pay.
Steve Bjuvgard, head of the anti-piracy unit at the Arab Media Corporation, recently outlined how piracy acts to inhibit content creation. “I’ve had people say to me that musicians are refusing to write lyrics any more, because there’s no money it in,” he told me.
AMC holds the largest Arab-language movie library in the world. But Bjuvgard casts doubt on whether it is sensible to make more film content, given the scale of the piracy problem: “Why would we go and make a movie when there’s no return in it?” he says. “Where does the money come from in terms of preserving that Arabic culture? It comes from paying subscribers.”
Most of us have experienced piracy. Fake DVD sellers, often from China, peddle their illegal wares across the region, while illegal movie downloading is rife. You may also have experienced pirate broadcasts without even realising it: Many bars and cafes show satellite TV channels without the proper licenses.
Piracy is a half-billion dollar global industry. And the issue goes right to the heart of politics: It was cited, for instance, as being one of the stumbling blocks behind the stalled free trade agreement between the UAE and U.S.
Some action is being taken on this issue. Non-governmental anti-piracy groups such as the Brand Owners Protection Group and the Arabian Anti Piracy Alliance are active in this region. And Bjuvgard says that AMC is sending out a “World Cup anti-piracy team” next year (the pay-TV network ART, which shows the games, is part of AMC).
However, there needs to be more governmental action on the issue. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, those found guilty of piracy crimes are rarely given prison sentences. The deterrents need to be much stronger.
Other Gulf countries could take the lead of the UAE, which has been the most proactive on this issue. For instance, this month the Ministry of Economy will launch a national campaign to protect intellectual property rights, which will include a public awareness campaign and an emphasis on the economic impact of piracy.
But if more governmental action is not taken against piracy, content creation will never thrive in the region. There will be no more film funds if the returns are not forthcoming. And so a clumsy name may not be the only thing holding back Abu Dhabi-Wood.
Ben Flanagan is editor of Media Week Middle East and a regular contributor to Maktoob Business.