US films dominate Rome Film Festival lineup

[October 15, 2013]  ROME (AP) -- American films are dominating the competition lineup for the 8th edition of the Rome Film Festival.

Director Spike Jonze's ''Her" starring Joaquin Phoneix and Scarlett Johansson, Scott Cooper's ''Out of the Furnace" with Christian Bale and Casey Affleck and the ''Dallas Buyers Club" by director Jean-Marc Vallee will be competing for top honors.

Festival director Marco Mueller said Monday it's only natural for American cinema to be represented at the Rome festival. Hey says it's ''Hollywood on the Tiber River, and we are glad, we can definitely boast that we have some of the better films coming out in the next few months."

American film director and screenwriter James Gray, who directed ''Little Odessa," chairs the Rome jury. The festival runs from Nov. 8-17.

[Associated Press]

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