The management of the festival, which brings together Egyptian, Arab and international theater makers, has revealed the list of nominees for the award.

Egyptian and Arab directors were invited to submit their texts in numerous categories between 18 August to 25 September.

The competition welcomed professional directors who could submit their first work only, while amateur theatre practitioners were asked to submit first, second, or third theatre plays they directed. The play submitted should have been performed between 2019 and 2021 on any stage or a non-traditional space in Egypt.
 
The contestants must be Egyptian, under 35 years of age, and living and working in the country.  Directors from all walks of life -- students, graduates, working in private or public companies, etc -- can take part in the competition.

The nominees for the Essam El Sayed prize are:

Omar Lotfi with a play "Determining a Path"
Adel Mabrouk with "Trifuga"
Rabab Karam Ahmed with "The Donkey Shadow Case"
Ahmed Samir Hassan with "The Trial of Don Quixote"
Sherif Mohamed Ragab with "Tom Jerry"
Mohamed Faraj with “Al-Kharatit”
Ahmed Samir Shebl with “Masoud and Wajida”
Mustafa Ahmed with “Adam”
Mohamed Abdel Wareth with “The Mask Girl”
Medhat Mousa with “54 Rubik”
Saeed Tariq Madkour with “The Death of a Street Salesman”
Saeed Salman with “Anchor in the Ocean of Hysteria”
Omar Wafik Mahmoud with “Then the Moon Gone”
Nour Ismail with “Hun”
Muhammad Khalfawy with “The Rashmon Effect”
Ahmed Alaa Ali with “The Guaranteed Way to Get Rid of Al-Baqa'
Ayman Adel in monodrama "The Mirrors"
Fadi Ahmed in "March in the Forest"
Mahmoud Hassan Geransi in "Don Quixote"
Mahmoud Mohamed Mahmoud in "Building a Theater".

The first winner will be awarded the Essam El-Sayed Prize worth EGP 5,000. The second place winner will be offered EGP 3,000, and the third prize is to the tune of EGP 2,000.

Earlier this month, the festival also revealed the nominees for Lenin El-Ramly Playwright Award.
 
Held annually, the SITFY is the first of its kind to be organised in Sinai. It was launched with the aim of providing opportunities to young theatre practitioners while decentralising the artistic scene and reviving tourism in South Sinai.

The SITFY's founder and president is Mazen El-Gharabawy, and the artistic director is Ingy El-Bastawi.

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