Kanye West Eyes Middle East: Rapper Scouting for Short Film

Get ready for another Kanye West film -- Middle East edition.

The 34-year-old rapper is reportedly scouting locations for a short film, according to the New York Observer.

So far, the scouting hasn't been smooth sailing, thanks to a little bidding war.

There's pretty intense rivalry here between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar. They all want to claim the film as their own and take credit for generating the publicity, a source told the Observer, adding that film initiatives are government controlled in those areas.

West, who is currently in Australia for the Big Day Out 2012 festival, has not publicly commented on the new film.

In fact, West has been fairly quiet since his epic Twitter rant in early January, when he announced the launch of DONDA, a creative fashion company.

The rant also included musings about his agency (he currently has no representation), the Taylor Swift incident (he moved to Japan after), shoes (he once designed a sneaker named The YEEZY with Nike), Steve Jobs (he's a fan) and being a rapper (he hasn't purchased a new car or jewelry in two years, which is not a very rapper thing to say).

The Middle East short film idea was reportedly inspired by West's 2010 visit to Abu Dhabi, where he held a Grand Pix show at Yas Island.

His reps seemed genuinely enthusiastic about creating a piece which highlights the culture accurately . . . they discussed how Kanye is looking to bridge the cultural divide and break misconceptions, a source told the Observer.

The film will have some big shoes to fill. In 2010, West unleashed a 35-minute short for his hit, Runaway. With Italian contemporary artist Vanessa Beecroft serving as art director, the elaborate production hired Selita Ebanks to play a half-phoenix, a dozen or so ballerinas and a slew of extras for a dining table scene like no other.

West and company are expected to reside in the Middle East for a few weeks for cultural inspiration, and are also considering using local production crews and talent, according to the Observer.

Scroll down for Kanye West's 2010 short, Runaway.

What do you think of Kanye West's new film project set in the Middle East? How do you think the bidding war will turn out? Share your thoughts below.