Abu Dhabi Film Commission has announced the successful completion of the fourth annual Circle Conference and  split its $100,000 Shasha Grant between two filmmakers.

The Shasha Grant prize was presented to filmmakers Dima Hamdan and Kasem Kharsa, for their films The Kidnap and Shelter. The Shasha Grant is designed to showcase rising talent in film and television across the Middle East.

Hamdan and Kharsa were chosen as this year’s Shasha Grant recipients from among six finalists who came to the Circle Conference to pitch their projects to a jury of industry leaders. Hamdan’s film, The Kidnap, is the story of a Jordanian police chief whose life is thrown apart when his pregnant wife is kidnapped. He embarks on a secret mission to find her, and uncovers a dark secret that threatens his family and professional future.

Kharsa’s film, Shelter, is the story of an amnesiac Iraqi refugee struggling to survive in Beirut. When he is arrested and falsely accused of war crimes, he is forced to piece together a violent past, and a gypsy boy he orphaned who is now hunting him down.

Abu Dhabi Film Commission will continue to work closely with Hamdan and Kharsa to see the project through development and production.

ADFC also presented a special prize to finalists Rana Kazkaz and Anas Khalaf for their project Damascenes: a trip to the 37º South Market at the Melbourne International Film Festival as part of a partnership between Abu Dhabi Film Commission and the MIFF 37º South Market.

The final day of the Circle Conference also included a keynote by producer Ed Pressman who provided a colourful overview of his long and distinguished career, and his work with directors from Terrence Malick to Werner Herzog, Brian de Palma and Oliver Stone.

The Circle Conference brought more than 50 industry leaders to Abu Dhabi October 13 to 15. It included a keynote from Tarak Ben Ammar, and panel discussions featuring filmmakers, broadcasters, producers and production executives from the Middle East, Europe, the US, Australia and Asia.

Additional highlights were a landmark panel on Women In Film in the Middle East chaired by Rotana Studios President Dr Hala Sarhan, and Education Day, which attracted more than 200 students from 14 universities across the UAE.

“The Circle Conference highlights the outstanding efforts being made  by the Film Commission and its partners to promote Emirati culture to industry leaders around the world,” said Eissa Saif Al Mazrouei, director of Special Projects for Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach).

“This year’s conference provided unique insights into the issues shaping the film and television business worldwide, and the many contributions we can offer here in Abu Dhabi.”

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.-TradeArabia News Service