Egypt's Culture Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem issued a decision to form the board of directors of the upcoming Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theater (CIFET).

The 28th edition will take place in September/October, with the exact dates yet to be revealed.

According to the ministerial announcement, Gamal Yakout will be the festival's president, taking over from Alaa Abdel-Aziz who presided over the CIFET's 27th edition of 2020.

The festival's artistic managers are Mohamed Abdelrahman El-Shafei and Saeed Kabeel.

The board will also include renowned theatre figures, such as Hoda Wasfi, Abu Hassan Salam, Ayman El-Shiwi, Ahmed Megahed, Yehia El-Taher, and Hazem Shebl.

The festival's 27th edition saw several changes introduced by Abdel-Aziz. One of the fundamental decisions was bringing back the festival's original name — the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre — which it had held since its founding in 1988 until 2010.

The festival's continuity was interrupted by the January 2011 Revolution and the many changes that took place in Egypt's artistic scene in the following years. After a five-year hiatus, the festival returned in 2016 with its 23rd edition and a new name: the Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre (CIFCET).

The festival's competitive character, one that characterised the event between 1988 and 2010, is also back.

Yakout is yet to reveal his strategy regarding the upcoming edition.

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