The 71st Venice Film Festival is directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by the Biennale, chaired byPaolo Baratta. The world premiere of Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance will be screened in competition on August 27th in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema at the Lido, following the opening ceremony hosted by Luisa Ranieri.

The film is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Michael Keaton) – famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.

The screenplay is written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Armando Bo. The producers are Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan and James W. Skotchdopole. The credits also include Director of Photography Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity, The Tree of Life, Children of Men), production designer Kevin Thompson (The Bourne Legacy, Michael Clayton) and music composed by Antonio Sanchez.

Venice Film Festival 2014 news