Wed, September 03, 2008
The masks are ready and gondolas set.
Even Brad Pitt is here with sons Maddox and Pax and the ever present media glare.
Pitt and co-star George Clooney will open the Venice film festival Wednesday night.
Their film "Burn After Reading" is directed by Oscar winners the Coen brothers.
The film follows two gym workers who stumble upon a computer disc containing memoirs of a sacked CIA analyst.
Despite the A-list presence however, Hollywood has a supporting role to smaller, independent films this year.
The festival's director Marco Mueller says the writer's strike is partly to blame.
SOUNDBITE: Marco Mueller, Festival Director, saying (English):
"In a way, the strike only meant that some of the major studio films will only be released late December or January."
Variety magazine's film critic says Venice has historically chosen arthouse over Hollywood.
SOUNDBITE: Jay Weissbergm, Variety Magazine Film Critic, saying (English):
"I think that people like to think of Venice as somehow begrudgingly involved in the huge blockbuster business, but when they could avoid it, they do."
55 films will be shown over next week and a half including favourites "Jericho" from Germany and former Golden Lion winner Takeshi Kitano.
