George Clooney starrer "Gravity" to open Venice film festival

Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron's much awaited sci-fi film "Gravity", starring Hollywood heavyweights George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, will open the 70th Venice international film festival.
The out of competition film will have its world premiere in 3D on 28 August in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema at the Lido, following the opening ceremony, said a statement on the festival's official website.
Curaron has been a part of the festival since 2001. His critically acclaimed "Y tu mama tambien" won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna.

In 2006, Cuaron's "Children of Men" won the Golden Osella for Best Cinematography.
A Warner Bros Pictures thriller, the films has Bullock playing Dr Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone - tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness with little oxygen supply left.
The last time Venice opened with a science fiction movie was in 2000 with "Space Cowboys" by Clint Eastwood.
Venice unveiled its line-up today with 20 films vying for the Golden Lion in the official competition.

The prominent films in this category are Terry Gilliam's "The Zero Theorem", Stephen Frears' Judi Dench starrer "Philomena", James Franco's directorial effort "Child of God", John Curran's "Tracks", Jonathan Glazer's Scarlett Johansson starrer "Under the Skin", Peter Landesman "Parkland", David Gordon Green "JOE" and Kelly Reichardt "Night Moves.