During the ceremony on 2 October, actress and director Abeer Lotfi, president of the festival, announced the incubator’s return. The initiative is dedicated to supporting plays and theatre projects that focus on women’s issues or are authored by women.
Lotfi noted that the inaugural incubator had been introduced at the festival's second edition, with some of its outcomes showcased during this edition. Therefore, the results of the second round are expected to be presented at next year’s festival.
Named after the late critic Nehad Selaiha, who passed away on 6 January 2017 at the age of 72, the incubator honours her contributions to Arab theatre, where she carved a unique place in the theatre world and among generations of practitioners. A scholar, translator, historian and writer, Selaiha’s English-language reviews of Arabic productions brought insight to Al-Ahram Weekly and other publications. Known for her energy and multidisciplinary approach, she authored and contributed to dozens of books, hundreds of articles, and served on juries and panels worldwide.
Festival highlights
This year’s festival was dedicated to Samiha Ayoub, the Lady of Arab Theater, with Spain named the country of honour.
17 plays from six countries—Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Japan, Italy and Spain—were staged, alongside three documentaries about pioneering women, presented in cooperation with this year’s partners.
In her closing remarks, Lotfi said: “We feel sad the festival has ended so quickly, but we are happy with all the participants and hope to meet again in a richer, more diverse edition.” She thanked audiences, artists, partners and sponsors.
The festival also honoured Lebanese actress Hanan El-Hajj Ali, a leading figure in Arab theatre known for her dedication to free theatre and her portrayals of women’s and societal struggles.
Festival co-founder and artistic director Abir Ali Hazein recalled that the event began as “a dream” of her friend Abeer Lotfi and became a reality through the efforts of Lotfi, Hazein, and Rasha Abdel Moneim. She praised the Palestinian-Jordanian play Fatma Al-Hawari – Don’t Reconcile, directed by Ghannam Ghannam, and the Lebanese play Jogging by Hanan El-Hajj Ali, along with other works created under conditions of war.
Abdel Moneim, also the festival's artistic director, admitted that she and her colleagues had worried the programme might not be strong enough, but said the audience’s overwhelming response proved otherwise. She closed with the festival’s motto: “Women can and are capable, drawing strength from the mother Isis (Eazees). We are all daughters of Isis—from here we begin and here we shall end.”
Fathia El-Assal Playwriting Competition
The festival’s closing also featured the announcement of the first Fathia El-Assal Playwriting Competition results, launched this year in collaboration with Risha Publishing House. The award honours the late playwright Fathia El-Assal for her significant contributions to theatre, thought, and culture.
Eighty-one plays were submitted and reviewed by a jury including critics Amira El-Wakeel and Nasser El-Ezaby, and writer-critic Rasha Abdel Moneim.
In the beginners’ track, the winners were The Blind Silence by Hiba Morsi, Hijab by Amira Ahmed, and A Dot on the F by Omnia Adel. In the professionals’ track, the top awards went to The Girls’ House…On the Hill by Amgad Zahr, Medusa by Mahmoud Mohamed Sayed, and Under Fire by Ahmed Samir.
The winning plays will be published by Risha Publishing and presented at the next Cairo International Book Fair.
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