Clooney’s The Ides of March to open Venice fest on August 31

by Vittoria Scarpa

22/06/2011 - The Ides of March, written and directed by George Clooney, will open the 68th Venice Film Festival (August 31-September 10). The film, selected in competition, will screen in world premiere on the evening of August 31 at the Palazzo del Cinema.

Based on Beau Willimon’s stage play Farragut North, co-written by Clooney, Grant Heslov and Willimon, The Ides of March is set during the Democratic Party presidential primaries in Ohio. It centres on a young and idealistic communications chief (Ryan Gosling) who works for presidential candidate Governor Mike Morris (Clooney), and despite himself ends up dangerously caught up in the deceit and corruption all around him.

The film, whose executive producers include Leonardo di Caprio, also stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Max Minghella and Evan Rachel Wood.

The Ides of March, Clooney’s fourth directorial outing, will be distributed in Italy by Rai Cinema/01 Distribution.

(Translated from Italian)