Bullock, Clooney to open 70th Venice Film Festival

[July 25, 2013]  ROME (AP) -- The techno-thriller "Gravity" starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts stranded in outer space will open the 70th Venice Film Festival.

Terry Gilliam's "The Zero Theorom" starring Christoph Waltz and Matt Damon, and Jonathan Glazer's "Under the Skin" featuring Scarlett Johansson are among 20 films -- five by U.S. directors -- vying for the coveted Golden Lion. "Gravity" is among 17 films showing out of competition.

The lineup for the world's oldest film festival, announced Thursday, includes film by three Oscar-winning directors: Hayao Miyazaki with an animated film about a Japanese fighter plane designer, Poland's Andrzej Wajda with a movie depicting the life of Solidarity leader Lech Walesa and Errol Morris with the documentary about former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

The festival runs from August 28-Sept. 7.

[Associated Press]

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