Opening night for Venice festival

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The 62nd Venice Film Festival has begun, with George Clooney, Gwyneth Paltrow and Matt Damon among the stars expected to appear in the city.

The festival opened on Wednesday with the Hong Kong martial arts epic Seven Swords and runs until 10 September.

There are 19 films up for competition, including Goodnight and Good Luck directed by Clooney, Paltrow's Proof and Terry Gilliam's The Brothers Grimm.

Security has been tightened in the wake of last month's bomb blasts in London.

VIEWS FROM VENICE What locals and tourists make of the festival In pictures

Damon will appear in the Italian city to promote The Brothers Grimm, in which he stars.

Other films vying for the prestigious Golden Lion include The Constant Gardener, starring Ralph Fiennes, the Kate Winslet musical Romance and Cigarettes, and Ang Lee's western Brokeback Mountain.

However, film-makers from Spain and Latin America have voiced their displeasure that no titles from their countries are included in the main line-up.

Jacqueline Bisset starred in Bond spoof Casino Royale

Oscar-winning art director Dante Ferretti chairs this year's competition jury, which includes German director Edgar Reitz and the American producer Christine Vachon.

As she launched her latest movie, The Fine Art of Love (Mine Ha Ha), in Venice, actress Jacqueline Bisset attacked the attitudes of women who "viciously" exploit each other.

"The film is about the exploitation of women, by men and also by women, which is what I find most shocking," she said.

"Women don't have to be enemies but they are put in that position in trying to survive."

Bisset, who starred in The Deep and Casino Royale, added that "women will listen to men before they listen to each other".

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In the Orizzonti (Horizons) section, pop star and actress Bjork makes her big-screen comeback in experimental film Drawing Restraint 9, directed by her husband Matthew Barney.

The Icelandic singer won the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival five years ago but has not acted again until now.

Tim Burton's animated feature The Corpse Bride, Cameron Crowe's romantic comedy Elizabethtown and Russell Crowe's boxing biopic Cinderella Man will screen out of competition.

Italian actress Stefania Sandrelli and the Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki will be presented with special Golden Lion awards.

The festival will close with Perhaps Love, the first musical to be produced in China in 40 years.