George Clooney and Sandra Bullock to open Venice film festival

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney's sci-fi thriller 'Gravity' is to open the Venice Film Festival in August.

The 3D production, directed by Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, shows the Hollywood stars as astronauts trying to return to Earth after their space shuttle is destroyed by debris, leaving them drifting alone in orbit, the BBC reported.

The rest of the festival line-up is yet to be declared.