June 21, 2011 11:38

Clooney's latest to open Venice Film Festival

Political drama, 'The Ides of March', picked as festival's opener

The new film directed, produced, written by and starring George Clooney will open this year's prestigious Venice Film Festival. The Ides of March, based on the off Broadway play Farragut North, is a drama about 'dirty politics', which tells the story of a press secretary who will stop at nothing to get his candidate elected.

The drama will be Clooney's fourth film as director following Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Good Night and Good Luck and Leatherheads.

Other films set to debut at the Venice Film Festival include, Roman Polanski's Carnage and David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method.

Almost Famous director and former Rolling Stone journalist, Cameron Crowe, will also attend, bringing with him his documentary about Pearl Jam's twenty year career, Pearl Jam Twenty.

Black Swan director Darren Aronofosky is to head up the Intentional Jury for the Competition, while Al Pacino is to be honoured with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker award which recognises a lifetime's achievement in making movies.

Last year, Lost in Translation director, Sofia Coppola, won the Golden Lion award for Best Film for her fourth feature, Somewhere.

The festival runs from August 31 - September 10, with the awards ceremony taking place on September 4.