DUBAI // A second online platform for movie enthusiasts has been launched in the UAE - one its creator hopes can help launch an awards scheme to recognise the country's top creative talent.
The Emirati director and editor Hassan Kiyany recently set up a group called UAE Film on the Vimeo video-sharing website, where people could post their work.
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Now a second Vimeo group has been launched by Saad Rabia, a Bahraini who was born in Abu Dhabi.
His group is called the UAE Motion Picture Association.
"Film - meaning scripted features or shorts - is always separate, either you find a group of people doing film, or a group doing, say, animation," he said. "There's no one entity that's doing everything together.
"Most of the interesting work around here involves short clips by people who are really talented who are doing a mixture of work - sometime it's stop motion animation, sometimes it's 3D, or a mix of both."
Mr Rabia said they may have awards in the future.
"Jurors would watch the movies and give prizes for the best script, best camera work, best production. We would have motion picture awards for the UAE that would recognise good work, not just film."
csimpson@thenational.ae
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
