The Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre's organizing committee has decided to honor Tunisian puppeteer and director Lotfi El-Mahfoudhi, who passed away on Friday morning due to a stroke. El-Mahfoudhi had participated in the festival's official competition with his play "Ma Yerawoosh" the day before. The festival also held a moment of silence in his memory during the closing ceremony on Friday night. El-Mahfoudhi was a well-known Tunisian puppeteer and was one of the founding members of the National Center for Tunisian Puppetry Arts. He was also a teacher at the Higher Institute of Theatre Arts in Tunisia and was the creator of the children's play "Tabib El-Da'eya" (The Village Doctor).