MUMBAI: The Abu Dhabi Film Commission awarded Saudi director Haifaa Al Mansour with the $100,000 Sasha Grant for her film Wajda at the third annual Circle Conference that concluded in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Wajda is a coming-of-age story of an 11-year-old Saudi girl.

The grant recognizes rising talent in film and television in the Middle East.

Mansour was chosen from among five finalists, who came to the conference to pitch their projects to a jury of industry leaders in the hope of securing the production-funding prize.

The runner-up was Annemarie Jacir, who received a trip to the Melbourne International Film Festival for her project When I Saw You as part of a partnership between the ADFC and the MIFF 37 Degrees South Market.