Cinema Nouveau screened by Fish Eagle Brandy will be the first movie theatre in South Africa to join other movie theatres, worldwide, in screening live performances of plays in High Definition (HD), as seen at the National Theatre in London.

Starting with the pilot screening of PHÈDRE by Jean Racine - in a version by Ted Hughes, with Helen Mirren in the title role - which will be screened at all Cinema Nouveau Theatres nationwide on 15 July and 23 July, this initiative will bring an exclusive theatrical experience to theatre fanatics in South Africa.

These live events “are designed to bring what we do on the stages of the National [Theatre] to a far greater number of people than we would ever be able to reach otherwise,” says Nicholas Hytner, Director for National Theatre. “Through high definition broadcasts, we have the technology at our disposal to present our productions beyond the four walls of the National [Theatre], to reach passionate theatre-goers all over the world, and to do it really well.”

Following the pilot screening of PHÈDRE, Cinema Nouveau will be showing The Audition from 24 July, a documentary about aspiring opera singers trying to make it onto the world-renowned stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

The live theatre plays from the National Theatre in London and live opera performances from the Metropolitan Opera in New York are part of the revolutionary experience Ster-Kinekor Theatres brings to South African cinema.

Commenting on these HD live events that have formed part of the unique Cinema Nouveau package, Michael Bender, Marketing Executive for Ster-Kinekor Theatres says, “we've had such a successful run of our opera screenings and we wanted to provide our customers with other suitable material tailored to match their tastes.”

Further live broadcasts of these High Definition Live Plays are planned during the pilot season and will be announced at a later stage. Opera with Cinema Nouveau screened by Fish Eagle Brandy will return for a third season in October 2009.

For more information on these initiatives, please visit www.sterkinekor.com.

Cinema Nouveau screened by Fish Eagle Brandy is a differentiated cinema experience and a destination for the discerning film lover. Cinema Nouveau screened Fish Eagle Brandy holds the prestige of being one of the world's only dedicated 'art cinema' chains, screening 'art' titles from cultures all over the world, but within this definition also extending into indie/cult, cutting-edge and alternative content.