Clooney unveils new film at Venice festival

Actor George Clooney was expected to bring a touch of Hollywood glamour to the Venice Film Festival today.

The Hollywood star has made his second film as director, Good Night. And, Good Luck.

Shot in black-and white, the movie chronicles a broadcast journalist’s battle against the communist witch-hunt of 1950s America.

It features the real-life conflict between TV news pioneer Edward R Murrow, played by David Strathairn, and Senator Joseph McCarthy.

As well as directing and co-writing the film, which contains newsreel footage of McCarthy himself, former ER star Clooney also stars as Murrow’s producer Fred Friendly.

Robert Downey Jr, Patricia Clarkson and Jeff Daniels also star in the movie, which Clooney has been desperate to make for years.

Oceans Twelve star Clooney’s father was a news anchor for 30 years and Murrow was considered a hero by the family.

Clooney, 44, made his directorial debut in 2002 with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, an adaptation of the memoirs of game show impresario Chuck Barris.

The former ER star has also directed Unscripted, a TV series about young actors trying to hit the big time in Hollywood.

Golden Globe-winning actor Clooney’s new film is a serious contender for the Golden Lion award.

The second day of the Venice festival will also see Spike Lee and Gladiator’s Ridley Scott attending for All the Invisible Children, a feature film about children in different parts of the world.

The film contains seven sections, each from different directors aiming to raise awareness of children who are invisible to the adult world.

The Festival opened yesterday with Seven Swords, a martial arts epic set during the Ching dynasty, directed by Tsui Hark, one of the biggest names in martial arts films.

British actress Jacqueline Bisset also made an appearance for the launch of her new movie The Fine Art of Love (Mine Ha Ha).

Gwyneth Paltrow, Russell Crowe and Sienna Miller are being tipped to make an appearance during the world’s oldest film festival, which features eleven days of screenings.