George Clooney Comes Out at Venice Film Festival

George Clooney was spotted arriving in Venice Monday sporting something that's all the rage in Italian trends – TV presenter Elisabetta Canalis. The day before the premiere of his movie, Men Who Stare at Goats, the couple – who landed at Venice's Lido Nicelli Airfield Monday evening – made a grand arrival at the Venice Film Festival following a water taxi ride across the city's lagoon, prompting Italian papers to gush over the pair as the next brad and Angelina.

Clooney, 48, and the woman better known to local media as "La Canalis" or simply "Eli" have been together for the past three weeks, spending time at Clooney's home on Lake Como.

Clooney was introduced to his new girlfriend in Rome. According to actor Alessandro Siani, who costarred with Canalis in a 2006 Italian movie called Christmas in New York, a mysterious car would follow Siani and Eli every day after filming, when Siani accompanied her back to the hotel where they were staying. "One day I finally decided to go over and confront the occupants of the car. I went over and to my surprise, who was sitting in the car? George Clooney!" Siani told an Italian magazine. "This isn't a new fling."

Hugo Chavez Enters Venice Film Festival Lion's Den Attacking Capitalism

As if "Capitalism" didn't already have a bad enough public relations image problem with movies starring Matt Damon and Michael Moore attacking it at this Year's Venice Film Festival now comes Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who received a movie star welcome Monday at the Venice Film festival where he walked the red carpet with director Oliver Stone for the premiere of the documentary "South of the Border."

Hundreds of admirers, some chanting "president, president," gathered outside of the Venice Casino for Higo Chavez's arrival. A few held up Venezuelan flags and a banner in Spanish that read "Welcome, president."

Chavez threw a flower into the crowd and touched his heart, and at one point took a photographer's camera to snap a picture himself. Security outside the Casino was tightened in advance of his arrival with military police checking bags.

Chavez praised Stone's work for depicting what he said were improvements made across Latin America.

"Rebirth is happening in Latin America, and Stone went to look for it and he found it," Chavez told reporters. "With his cameras and his genius, he's captured a good part of that rebirth."

Stone says "South of the Border" is meant to illustrate "the sweeping changes" in South America in recent years as a direct counterpoint to what some say is Chavez's depiction as a dictator by U.S. and European media.

Stone spent extensive time with Chavez for the 75-minute documentary, which is premiering at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, and also interviewed the leaders of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba and Paraguay, whom Stone said "are on the same page" as Chavez.

"He's a guy you should meet and get to know. ... He's the star of the movie," Stone said in an interview before the premiere.

Stone said he wanted to illustrate changes that put leaders in many South American countries in power who represent the majority of their populations, a movement started with Chavez. He cited Bolivian President Evo Morales, the first Indian to be elected president, and Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a well-known trade unionist.

"If you look now, there are seven presidents, eight countries with Chile, that are really moving away from the Washington consensus control," Stone said. "But in America, they don't get that story."

Stone was invited to Venezuela to meet Chavez for the first time during the Venezuelan leader's aborted rescue mission of Colombian hostages held by FARC rebels. The mission was aborted, but Stone said the Chavez he met was different than some U.S. media depictions.

He returned in January to interview Chavez, and continued on to four other countries to interview Chavez's allies, with Cuban and Ecuadorean leaders joining him in Paraguay.

Stone is best known for his dramas, but he also has made four documentaries, including "Comandante," the 2003 documentary based on a meeting with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, which the director says in many ways led him to Chavez.

"South of the Border" is showing out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, which ends Saturday with the awarding of the Golden Lion.

Venice Film Festival Attracts Hollywood Stars

Matt Damon is one of several Hollywood A-listers due to grace the red carpet in 2009, as studios appear prepared to foot the substantial bill and come to Venice in order to generate buzz for their pictures as the awards season kicks off.

Hundreds of fans waiting outside the main cinema where Venice Film Festival gala premieres are held each day will be hoping to catch a glimpse of Nicolas Cage, George Clooney, Oliver Stone, Charlize Theron, Eva Mendes, Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone among others.

The 2009 edition of the Venice Film Festival, the world's oldest film festival looks set to eclipse 2008, which, despite awarding Mickey Rourke's acclaimed comeback "The Wrestler" with the Golden Lion for best film, was seen as lackluster and lacking star power.

"On paper it looks good, and these people will be doing the red carpet giving the festival the glamour I think it needs," said Lee Marshall, film critic for Screen International and a Venice regular.

"That was lacking last year, considered by many to be a limp festival from that point of view. Many media representatives canceled pretty much after the program was announced." Of course, last year this time the entire world finance system was collapsing.

Whether it is still not collapsing in September 2009 is questionable, but surely after what may be considered one of the most difficult psychological years in history the Hollywood stars are glad to be back in Italy for the Venice Film Festival, in the city which gold standard collapsed years ago and may be a good place this year to reflect on Capitalism.

And indeed, in addition to war movies, after almost a decade of unending wars waged byt eh United States of North America, Capitalism is one of the theme's of this year's 2009 Venice Film Festival. Matt Damon Informant and Michael Moore Capitalism both will be screened at the 2009 Venice Film Festival.

As usual Venice promises a global line-up, with Egypt's "The Traveler," featuring Omar Sharif, in competition alongside pictures from China, Austria, Israel, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Germany and Italy.

Not for the first time fashion is in focus, with designer Tom Ford bringing his directorial debut "A Single Man" starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.

Stallone to be Awarded at Venice Film Festival

Sylvester Stallone will receive this year's Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award at the 66th Venice International Film Festival.

The Venice Film Festival begins next week in Venice, Italy.

The award, to be handed out at the end of festival on September 12, is given each year to someone who has left their mark on contemporary cinema.

On learning that he had been chosen for the prize this year, the actor-director-writer best known for his Rocky character said that ''to receive an award at the Venice festival is a dream I always hoped would come true''.

''Now that this has happened I can say that it was well worth the wait,'' the 63-year-old star added.

A statement issued by festival organizers said that in his films ''Stallone traveled through the light and the darkness of the American Dream and each of his films were remarkably anchored in its own present time''.

Stallone's cinema, above all his Rocky and Rambo series, ''is capable of tenderness even when dripping with blood,'' the statement added. ''And the way he has developed 'his' characters, even in his 'minor' films or those not directed by him, stands out for clarity and communicativeness,'' organized said.

The award ceremony will include a world premiere screening of scenes from the latest film Stallone has written, directed and starred in: The Expendables.

''It's a story of heroism and the price people pay to save others. It is a great mix of action and humor,'' Stallone explained.

The Venice Film Festival opens September 2 and the jury will be headed by filmmaker Ang Lee and include French actress Sandrine Bonnaire, Italian director Liliana Cavani, American moviemaker Joe Dante, Indian director Anurag Kashyap and Italian rocker and one-off filmmaker Luciano Ligabue.

Click WebVisionItaly.com Venice television channel for more about travel, culture, and modern day life in Venice.

Ang Lee Back to Direct Venice Film Festival

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Director Ang Lee, who twice won the Venice Film Festival's prestigious Golden Lion award, will head its jury this year.

The Taiwanese-born director won the award in 2007 for "Lust, Caution," and in 2005 for "Brokeback Mountain," for which he also won a best directing Oscar.

The festival made the announcement Friday. Last year's jury was headed by German film director Wim Wenders.

This year's film festival will be held Sept. 2-12. For more video about Italy visit WebVisionItaly.com.