"ISIS International Women's Theater" Launches Its Fourth Edition Named After Senaa Jamil
The fourth edition of the International Isis Festival for Women’s Theatre launched with an opening ceremony held at the Samir Theatre in Agouza. This edition is dedicated to the late artist Sanaa Jamil, revisiting aspects of her artistic journey across theatre, cinema, and television. The festival’s program, which includes theatrical performances, workshops, and intellectual and dialogue-based events, will continue until October 2.
During the opening, the festival revisited Sanaa Jamil’s life through a film highlighting key milestones in her life and artistic experience. This aimed to explore the legacy of an artist whose name became synonymous with roles that left a lasting impact on Egyptian artistic memory. Her selection as the title for the fourth edition serves as a celebration of a career that began in Malwi, Minya, in Upper Egypt, before she moved to Cairo and became one of the prominent figures in the history of Egyptian acting.
Abeer Lotfy, the festival’s director, stated that naming the edition after Sanaa Jamil is a tribute to an artist who carved out a unique place for herself in the history of Egyptian art. She noted that Jamil’s journey represents a model of an artistic path that started from the periphery of the scene and reached one of the most distinguished acting experiences in Egypt.
Lotfy emphasized that the festival continues to work toward providing a space for creative women to present their experiences, voices, and stories. She added that theatre is not merely a platform for presenting performances; within the festival’s framework, it transforms into a space for encounter, expression, and raising questions related to women, society, and humanity.
The ceremony included the honoring of artist Samah Anwar, poet Kawther Mustafa, artist Dr. Nefin Alouba, and critic Dr. Samia Habib, in recognition of their careers and contributions to art, culture, and creativity. The Misr Al-Khair Foundation was also honored for its role in supporting women’s issues.
Samah Anwar sparked speculation during the event after she did not take the stage to receive her award and subsequently left the opening festivities without completing the ceremony. This raised questions about the reasons for her absence from the stage and her departure at that time, especially since she was among the announced honorees for the fourth edition.
In a subsequent press statement, Samah Anwar clarified that her departure was not related to the manner of the award presentation or the lack of a reserved seat for her, denying rumors to that effect. She confirmed that the reason was her commitment to filming one of her artistic works and her preparation to travel within the following hours, coupled with her inability to drive at night, which led her to prefer leaving rather than staying for the remainder of the ceremony.
She noted that she had agreed with the festival management some time ago to attend the opening and had informed the organizers of her circumstances and artistic commitments. She affirmed that her decision was due to obligations she could not postpone, while expressing her regret at not being able to stay and share the celebration with the artists and prominent figures who attended.
Following the conclusion of the opening ceremony, the play “Shanb al-Banat” (The Girls’ Mustache) by the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts was presented as the festival’s opening performance. The fourth edition will continue until October 2, featuring 13 theatrical performances from Egypt and several Arab and foreign countries.
