Venice Unveils Lineup

ROME – The Venice Film Festival announced the lineup for its 68th edition Thursday, unveiling a star-studded competition lineup heavy in English-language fare, including the latest works from David Cronenberg, Steve McQueen, and Roman Polanski plus the out-of-competition world premieres of Madonna's second directorial effort, "W.E.," Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion," and "Wilde Salome," directed by Al Pacino.

This year's edition of the festival will also inaugurate the new highly touted Palazzo del Cinema venue, which has been under construction for the previous three editions. But it will be the lineup that will attract most of the attention.

The 21 announced competition films will include 11 English-language productions, including Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method; Shame," the sophomore directorial effort from actor McQueen; "Carnage" from Polanski; Andrea Arnold's adaptation of "Wuthering Heights;" Tomas Alfredson's adaptation of "Tinker Tailor," "Soldier, Spy;" "4:44 Last Day on Earth" from Abel Ferrara; horror master William Friedkin's "Killer Joe;" and "Dark Horse" from indie director Todd Solondz.

Regarding the high quantity of U.S. made films in this year's competition lineup – there are six total -- artistic director Marco Mueller cautioned against assuming they were potential blockbusters. "These are kinds of non-mainstream films that need the Venice Film Festival," Mueller said.

Other notable in-competition films: "Terraferma," from Italy's Emauele Crialese; Venice regular Aleksander Sokurov's "Faust;" "Alps" from Greek director Torgos Lanthimos; and "Quando La Notte" from veteran Italian director Cristina Comencini.

All told, the festival announced 21 in competition films, with a final 22nd production to be unveiled during the festival, as has become a tradition from artistic director Marco Mueller.

Already announced is the world premier of George Clooney's "The Ides of March," the festival's opening film. "Damsels in Distress," Whit Stillman's first movie since 1998, will close the festival.

The out-of competition lineup also includes its stars, headlined by Madonna's story based on the marriage between British king Edward VIII and American divorcee Wallis Simpson, that Mueller said was "surprising and not at all banal" Contagion, the thriller from Soderbergh, and Pacino's documentary Wilde Salome.

The festival gets underway August 31 and runs through Sept. 10.

– The Hollywood Reporter