Venice Film Festival Opens, George Clooney to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award; Gaza and Artificial Intelligence in Focus

This year’s Venice International Film Festival opens on Wednesday, placing Hollywood star George Clooney in the spotlight. The 65-year-old actor will receive a lifetime achievement award on the opening night, honoring his longstanding contribution to cinema.

A frequent presence on the festival’s red carpet, Clooney is expected to bring glamour to an edition that major Hollywood studios have chosen to skip. The opening ceremony of the festival, which runs until September 12, will feature director Danny Boyle’s film “Ink,” which chronicles Rupert Murdoch’s rise to the top of the British media industry.

The program also includes productions about Elon Musk and the return of Oasis, while brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher are expected to walk the red carpet. Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem appear in the psychological thriller “Bunker,” while John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell play two eccentric CIA agents in “Wild Horse Nine.”

Among the films competing for the Golden Lion is the documentary “Naza,” which examines the killing of civilians in Gaza by Israeli forces. Artistic director Alberto Barbera said the festival has a duty to address the conflicts in Gaza and the Middle East through cinema.

Another topic expected to dominate this year’s festival is artificial intelligence. For the first time, Venice will screen a documentary produced entirely using this technology. Directed by Italian filmmaker Francesco Carrozzini, “Be Brave” tells the story of Renzo Rosso, the founder of the “Diesel” brand. Barbera acknowledged that the new technology poses threats to jobs, copyright and artists’ likenesses, but emphasized that it also enables directors to undertake projects that previously seemed out of reach.

The festival will also host an international symposium on the impact of artificial intelligence on the film industry, with George Clooney among the guests.