ABU DHABI - Abu Dhabi Film Commission today announced the successful completion of the third annual Circle Conference at the Intercontinental Abu Dhabi and the presentation of its Shasha Grant to female Saudi director Haifaa Al Mansour for her film Wajda.
The Shasha Grant, designed to showcase rising talent in film and television across the Middle East, provides $100,000 in production funding.
Mansour was chosen as this year’s Shasha Grant recipient from among five finalists who came to the Circle Conference to pitch their projects to a jury of industry leaders.
Her film Wajda is the story of a free-spirited 11 year-old Saudi girl coming of age in a restrictive society.
Abu Dhabi Film Commission will continue to work closely with Mansour to see the project through development and production.
The Shasha Grant runner up, Annemarie Jacir, received a trip to the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) for her project When I Saw You as part of a partnership between Abu Dhabi Film Commission and the MIFF 37 Degrees South Market.
The final day of the Circle Conference also included the first Emirates Skills Training Council Conference, a program bringing together schools, media production companies and broadcasters from throughout the region to help students connect with opportunities in film and television.
The Circle Conference brought more than 40 industry leaders to Abu Dhabi October 9 – 11.
It included keynotes from New Regency Pictures Chairman Hutch Parker, Participant Media CEO Jim Berk and CBS Paramount Network Entertainment Group President Nancy Tellem, and panel discussions featuring filmmakers, producers, agents and production executives from Europe, the US, South Africa, Argentina, China, and across the Middle East.
Additional highlights were a landmark panel on Women In Film in the Middle East chaired by Pyramedia CEO Nashwa Al Ruwaini, featuring women filmmakers from around the region.
There was also a special seminar Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s Locations Service, a searchable online database of regional locations.
“The Circle Conference continues to be a valuable platform for the promotion of Emerati culture,” said Eissa Saif Al Mazrouei, Director of Special Projects for Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH).
“This year’s conference reflects our ongoing commitment to the development of the film and television industry in Abu Dhabi, the nurturing of new talent and the promotion of Arab culture through film,” he added.
The Circle Conference is an annual event featuring keynotes, panels and master classes addressing global trends in production, finance and distribution, the impact of digital technology, and the development of the film and TV industry in Abu Dhabi.
“The Circle continues to be a tremendous opportunity for dialogue among the leading lights of the entertainment community around the issues that are shaping the film and television industry in the U.A.E. and beyond,” Abu Dhabi Film Commission Director David Shepheard said.
“By bringing their insights and experiences and global perspectives to Abu Dhabi, they’ve played a vital role in our efforts to stimulate a new level of entrepreneurship in this region, and helped cement Abu Dhabi’s place as a global center of excellence in film and television,” he added.
Conference sessions are being streamed live on the Internet. For more information on speakers, conference content and registration visit: www.film.gov.ae
Saudi soldier killed in Yemen border clashes