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Venice is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious film festivals, held each year in Italy and often seen as the unofficial start of the awards season race. Studios and filmmakers use it to premiere major titles and generate early buzz ahead of the Oscars, so the films chosen for its lineup, and who presents them, are closely watched by the industry.

This year's edition runs from 2 to 12 September and will open with "Ink", a drama about the British tabloid world starring Guy Pearce as media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, before closing with an Italian period comedy-drama. As with Cannes earlier in the year, festival organisers say fewer big Hollywood productions are expected to feature, with the programme instead leaning more heavily on international cinema. A panel of jurors, led this year by actress and director Maggie Gyllenhaal, will decide the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion, while separate honorary awards recognise long careers in film.