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Michael Moore pic to compete at Venice

66th annual festival to feature 71 world premieres

By Eric J. Lyman / Hollywood Reporter

ROME -- Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" will headline a 24-film competition lineup at September's Venice Film Festival, which is heavy on first and second films from up-and-coming directors.

The lineup includes five U.S. films, four each from Italy and France, four from Asia, two from the Middle East -- with all 23 films named Thursday as world premieres.

A 24th surprise competition pic to be announced during the fest would also be a world premiere, officials said. The fest will feature 71 world premieres.

"We are very pleased and very honored to announce this lineup," Venice artistic director Marco Mueller said in a briefing Thursday, where Fatih Akin's comedy "Soul Kitchen"; "Accident," a thriller from China's Cheang Pou; and "A Single Man," a drama from Tom Ford starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, were revealed as part of the lineup.

All told, the fest will feature 16 first works and nine second works. Five first works will appear in competition, believed to be a modern-day record for the 66-year-old fest.

Other notable competition selections include Michele Placido's "Il Grande Sogno" (The Big Dream), Werner Herzog's "Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans," "The Road," from John Hillcoat, and "White Material" from France's Claire Denis.

As previously announced, "Baaria," the competition coming-of-age story from Italian Oscar winner Giuseppe Tornatore, will open the event. It will be the first time in two decades that an Italian film opened the storied festival.

The out-of-competition lineup seems sure to continue Venice's tradition of high-wattage star power: Grant Heslov's "Men Who Stare at Goats" starring George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh's "The Informant!" starring Matt Damon are among the films likely to attract top-shelf Hollywood talent to the Venice Lido.

The festival is set for Sept. 2-12.