Opera in an Hour Movies

Introduce your students to opera with one of our Opera in an Hour movies. These abridged versions of San Francisco Opera mainstage performances are FREE for all Bay Area educators to use in their classrooms. Email education@sfopera.com for a copy today!

All Opera in an Hour movies, excluding The Girl of the Golden West, are sung in English with English subtitles.

Additionally, you can join us for free family movie screenings of these films at venues throughout the Bay Area.

  • Bizet’s Carmen
    This beloved opera tells the passionate tale of the alluring Gypsy girl Carmen, the Spanish soldier who loves her and the spirited bullfighter who comes between them. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

    View the trailer for this movie! Check out our online resources!

  • Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love
    In this delightful comedy, the course of true love is made smooth by a “magic” potion. The production is set in Napa Valley circa 1915. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

    View the trailer for this movie! Check out our online resources!

  • Mozart’s The Magic Flute 
    The story of a prince and a bird catcher’s journey to rescue a beautiful princess. Along the way they find their true loves and discover wisdom and forgiveness. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

    View the trailer for this movie! Check out our online resources!

  • Puccini’s Girl of the Golden West
    In opera’s version of a classic Western, we meet a crafty criminal, a suspicious sheriff and a tough frontier woman with a tender heart. The dramatic love triangle is set in California during the Gold Rush. The opera is sung in Italian, with English subtitles and recommended for ages 8 and up.


    View the trailer for this movie! Check out our online resources!

  • Rossini’s Cinderella
    With an open heart and determination, Cinderella triumphs over her mean-spirited relatives. The opera is sung in Italian with English subtitles and is recommended for ages 7 and up.


    View the trailer for this movie! Check out our online resources!

  • Rossini’s Barber of Seville
    In this classic opera, Figaro, Seville's favorite barber, helps two young lovers find their happily everafter. Join them in a series of disguises, tricks and comic twists and turns. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

    View the trailer for this movie! Check out our online resources!

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