The National Festival of Egyptian Theater organizes its sixteenth session, which bears the name of the artist Adel Imam, from July 29 to August 14 with the participation of 37 performances.

“The session bears the name of Adel Imam. We don’t honor him, but we celebrate him. We all celebrate him as playwrights and artists. The whole of Egypt celebrates him,” the festival’s chairman, actor Mohamed Riad, told a press conference on Saturday.

Participating programs are represented by independent theater groups, the private sector, state theatres, university theatres, syndicate groups and civil society.

Free performances are held at Al-Salam, Al-Qat, Al-Talia, The Balloon, The Brides, Miami, Artistic Creativity Center, Hangars, Al-Samar, National Theater and Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts Theater.

The jury is formed under the members of the artist, Ashraf Abdel Ghafoor and the actor, Magdi Kamal and the director, Nader Salah El-Din, and the critic, Gerges Shogri, and the composer, Tariq Mahran, and the interior designer, Mohamed Al-Garbawi and Saharmod Art Professor Hemiut Art.

In addition to theatrical performances, the festival organizes a drama composition competition for the first work, in which 186 texts compete.

This year, the festival honors seven actors: Salah Abdullah, Riyad al-Qauli, Khaled al-Sawi, Ahmed Fuad Selim, Muhammad Mahmoud, Muhammad Abu Dawud, Rushdi al-Shami, and Sami Abdel-Halim, along with decorator Noha Barrada and writer e-Said al-Said al-All.

It is noteworthy that the Egyptian National Theater Festival is organized annually by the Ministry of Culture.