The Peony Pavilion, a Kunqu Opera production, by Jiangsu Performing Arts Group, will be featured in the 9th NCPA International Opera Film Exhibition.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The curtains are rising, but this time, there are no seats to fill.

With the 9th edition of the National Center for the Performing Arts International Opera Film Exhibition kicking off on Sunday in Beijing, productions from international opera houses take to the silver screen, inviting audiences to experience the grandeur of the stage through the lens of cinema.

According to Ma Rongguo, vice-president of the NCPA, a total of 16 stage art films, both Chinese and international, will be screened to Nov 30 at nearly 100 cinemas, theaters, and over 20 universities in more than 30 cities in China.

"For those who've never set foot in a gilded opera house and those who are loyal patrons of the art form, this cinematic journey promises to bridge centuries of tradition with the cutting edge of visual storytelling," says Ma.

This year's selection spans different genres, including opera, musical theater, dance drama, and traditional Chinese opera.

Seventeen arts institutions from seven countries are participating, including seven from China, such as the NCPA and Jiangsu Performing Arts Group, and 10 internationally renowned institutions, such as the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain, and the Royal Opera House in the United Kingdom, deepening cross-cultural artistic dialogue.

Opera productions featured in the event include the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Georges Bizet's Carmen, which features Italian conductor Daniele Rustioni and mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina starring as the beguiling Carmen, and Alice's Adventures Under Ground, a 2016 one-act opera by Irish composer Gerald Barry, with a libretto of his own, featuring 54 roles sung by a cast of just seven.

The NCPA's production of Tosca, offering a contemporary interpretation of Puccini's classic, will also be screened during the event

The Eternal Wave, a Chinese dance drama choreographed by Zhou Liya and Han Zhen, is adapted from a classic 1950s Chinese film. It follows an underground Communist telegrapher working undercover to fight against the enemy. The Kunqu Opera production The Peony Pavilion, written by Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) playwright Tang Xianzu, and featuring actor Shi Xiaming and actress Shan Wen, will bring Chinese stories from theater to screen.

Carmen, the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Bizet's classic work, will be featured in the 9th NCPA International Opera Film Exhibition.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Other highlights include acclaimed director Pablo Larrain's operatic movie Maria, featuring Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas, one of the most iconic performers of the 20th century, and the Russian musical Anna Karenina — based on the tragic love story written by Leo Tolstoy — directed by Alina Chevik and choreographed by Irina Korneeva, which toured China in 2023 with sold-out shows.

Since its launch in 2016, the NCPA International Opera Film Exhibition has partnered with over 30 arts organizations and production companies from both home and abroad, presenting more than 100 stage art films. So far, it has toured over 30 cities and more than 100 cinemas, as well as numerous universities, with around 3,000 screenings and an audience reach of over 300,000 people.

"Opera, while a rich and deeply emotional art form, often has a niche audience due to factors like location, ticket prices, and sometimes limited accessibility. By creating opera movies, the art form can reach a much wider audience, including people who may never have the chance to attend a live performance," says tenor Wang Hongwei, who plays the leading role in the NCPA's opera production Mining Town, also featured in the exhibition. "Opera is traditionally viewed as a high-culture art form, often disconnected from modern pop culture. By adapting opera into film, directors and producers can present the art in a way that appeals to broader demographics."

Movie director Hou Keming, a professor at Beijing Film Academy, who helped select this year's programs, adds that "opera films enrich cinema content and provide a crucial platform for performing arts dissemination".

"Every film selected this year is a gem, offering a comprehensive showcase of the world's finest stage productions. These movies have introduced classical music and opera to audiences who might not typically attend the theater, creating a crossover between classical and mainstream entertainment," says Hou.