Kidman opens Rome festival

Hollywood star Nicole Kidman opened the Rome Film Festival today with the premiere of her new movie Fur: An Imaginary Import of Diane Arbus.

The Moulin Rouge actress praised the festival for raising awareness for films which would ordinarily be ignored.

She says: "I wanted to support this festival and Italy. Film festivals are very good for small films like this one, the more we have the better."

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus stars Kidman as the famous photographer with Roberrt Downey Jnr as her mentor.

Sean Connery was honoured with a lifetime achievement award on the eve of the inaugural festival , with Festival president Gofreddo Bettini lauding the actor for "his fame, popularity and his brilliance."