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Story by: Jack Foley
GEORGE Clooney is to compete with the likes of Ang Lee, Terry
Gilliam and fellow actor, John Turturro, for the best director
prize at this year's Venice Film Festival.
The Ocean's 12 star has submitted
his second film as director, Goodnight and Good Luck, in competition
for the prestigious Golden Lion award.
The film is based upon a screenplay by Clooney and Grant Heslov
and stars David Strathairn in the true story of how Edward R Murrow
and his producer, Fred Friendly (Clooney), helped bring an end
to the House Un-American Activities Committee' anti-Communist
hearings.
Using his CBS News programme, See It Now as a platform, Murrow
challenged McCarthy on his claims that hundreds of avowed Communists
were working covertly as Soviet spies in the US government.
The film co-stars Robert Downey Jnr, Jeff Daniels and Patricia
Clarkson and is one of the front-runners for winning the prize.
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It will mark Clooney's second outing
as director, following the critical success of his debut, Confessions
of a Dangerous Mind.
In other Venice news, it has also been confirmed that Clooney's
long-time creative partner, Steven Soderbergh, will be showing
his latest film, a murder mystery named Bubble, out of competition
at the festival.
While Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory director, Tim Burton, is to screen his latest,
Corpse Bride, out of competition as well.
Commenting on the strong line-up of US movies vying for top honours
at Venice, Marco Mueller, artistic director of the festival, said:
"This shows how important Venice now is for American cinema."
There are 19 films in total in the main competition line-up.
Other high profile entries include Terry Gilliam's Brothers Grimm,
Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, Proof starring Gwyneth Paltrow and
The Constant Gardener with Ralph Fiennes.
Turturro's third film as director, Romance and Cigarettes, also
makes the cut alongside films from Abel Ferrara, Patrice Chereau
and Portugal's Manoel de Oliviera.
Last year's Golden Lion was won by Mike Leigh's abortion drama
Vera Drake.
The 2005 festival runs from August 31 to September 10.
Related stories: Clooney
talks Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Clooney's latest to close 2005
London Film Festival
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