THE 15TH CAIRO International Festival for Experimental Theatre ended last Thursday amid the usual flurry and excitement of awards. This year's international jury -- responsible for the nominations and final selection -- was headed by Brian Singleton (Ireland) and comprised Ana Rosa Barrionuevo (Argentina), Anatoly Vassiliev (Russia), Freddy Decreus (Belgium), Ilse Scheer (Germany), Jean Randich (USA), Jean-Michel Meunier (France), Michel Vais (Canada), Nehad Selaiha (Egypt), Salvatore Bitoni (Italy) and Younis Louelidi (Morocco).

The nominees and winners of the Jury Awards were:

Best Ensemble Work , nominees: Osiris Coverage (Hungary), Torrance and Grady (Switzerland), Presentiment (Republic of Yakutia, Russia). Winner: Masks, Fabrics and Destinies (Egypt), jointly with Hamlet... If There Is Time (Sweden).

Best Production, nominees: Hamlet... If There Is Time (Sweden), Masks, Fabrics and Destinies (Egypt) and Osiris Coverage (Hungary). Winner: Karma (South Korea)

Best Director, nominees: Ibrahim Khalfan (Bahrain) for An Ideal Day, Jungung Yang (South Korea) for Karma, Lukas Bangerter (Switzerland) for Torrance and Grady. Winner: Gabor Goda (Hungary) for Osiris Coverage.

Best Actress, nominees: Chang Ai Li and Kim Ji Sung (South Korea) for Karma, and Anna Alifonotova (Russia) for Nina Variations. Winner: Josephine Andersson (Sweden) for Hamlet...If There Is Time.

Best Actor, nominees: Phillipe Nauer (Switzerland) for Torrance and Grady, and Fedor Ivov (Russia) for Nina Variations. Winner: Helal Antar (Algeria) for Poems of Wonder.

Best Scenography, nominees: Karma (South Korea), Masks, Fabrics and Destinies (Egypt), Osiris Coverage (Hungary) and Torrance and Grady (Switzerland). Winner: Walid Aouni for A Sculptor's Dream (Egypt, original name, Mahmoud Mokhtar and the Khamaseen Wind).