The eighth Shanghai International Puppet Festival, a key event of this year's China Shanghai International Arts Festival, opened on Oct 8 and will last for over a month.

The event will bring together 14 top performance troupes from 11 countries, showcasing 15 works over nearly 100 performances.

The Shanghai International Puppet Festival has been held annually since 2009. Last year, it introduced dual competitions with a single showcase, launching the first international boutique puppet art exhibition with the tagline World on the Fingertips.

This year, the festival returns to its competitive roots, highlighting its role in the development of puppetry. The event integrates award ceremonies, carnivals, and exhibitions to showcase puppetry in innovative ways.

The festival features a mix of traditional puppetry techniques and modern technologies, including AI and 3D, bringing classic tales to life while exploring new genres like musicals and comedies. The opening show, Adventure in the Galaxy by the Shanghai Puppet Theater, illustrates this blend by using AI for immersive audience interactions.

Moreover, the festival will host a diverse range of puppet performances, including Shanghai-style shadow puppetry, light and shadow creative puppetry, and more, many of which are being held in China or Asia for the first time. A puppet competition during the festival will recognize outstanding performances and innovative works, inspiring creativity within the field.

An exhibition titled Puppet Secret Realm: Trendy Puppetry Adventure will explore the contemporary connection between traditional puppetry and modern trends, appealing to younger audiences. The festival will also feature a puppetry carnival with various activities and performances, aiming to bring puppetry into people's daily lives and showcase its unique charm to a broader audience.

Source: WeChat account of China Shanghai International Arts Festival at "artsbird2306"