First man to open Venice Film Festival

Los Angeles : Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelles space race drama “First Man” will open the 75th annual Venice International Film Festival on August 29. This will mark the second opening-night Venice bow for Chazelle. His previous film, “La La Land,” kicked off the fest in 2016 before cruising into the awards season and tying the all-time Oscar nominations record, reports variety.com.

Chazelle ultimately won the best-director prize at the Academy Awards, while Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” walked away with best picture. A Universal Pictures release, “First Man” stars Ryan Gosling as astronaut Neil Armstrong in the years leading up to the Apollo 11 moon-landing mission of 1969.

Claire Foy also stars as Armstrong’s wife, Janet Shearon. Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, Corey Stoll, Ciaran Hinds, Christopher Abbott, and Patrick Fugit fill out the rest of the cast, reports varoety.com. Other recent Venice openers have included “Downsizing,” “Everest,” and “Birdman.”