Michael Moore: Credit crunch film vies for top prize in Venice

Michael Moore: Credit crunch film vies for top prize in Venice

Michael Moore's documentary on the global financial crisis, "Capitalism: A Love Story", will compete for the top prize at 2009 Venice film festival.

Sources have thrown light on this news of Michael Moore. According to the organizers the Oscar winning director Michael Moore is one of six U.S. movies in the main competition at the world's oldest film festival, a sign U.S. film-making is back in business after last year's problems.

While unveiling the program of the Sept 2-12 event festival director Marco Mueller said, "It seemed that the writers' strike, the financial difficulties had slammed the brakes on the most creative part of American cinema, but the selection has never been so great”.

Also probable competitors for the Golden Lion are Werner Herzog's remake of "Bad Lieutenant", former Gucci designer Tom Ford's directorial debut "A Single Man" and John Hillcoat's "The Road", an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's bestseller starring Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron.

Amongst twenty four films in the official contest one title has yet to be unveiled.

George Clooney, star of last year's opening film by the Coen brothers, will be back on the Lido in Grant Heslov's satirical drama "The Men Who Stare at Goats".

Italy and France will also loom large over Venice with 4 films each in the main lineup, including Jaco van Dormael's "Mr Nobody" and Giuseppe Tornatore's epic drama "Baaria", the first Italian movie to open the festival in two decades.

The heavy U.S. presence promises a steady flow of Hollywood stars on the Lido red carpet. However it was unlike last year. Also there will be a career award for John Lasseter and his fellow Pixar directors for their animation blockbusters.

To mark the award, new 3D versions of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 will screen at the festival.