Clooney's low-budget "Good Night, And Good Luck", a black-and-white tale of broadcasting courage during the McCarthy-era witch hunts of the 1950s, was presented at the Venice festival.

His movie was the first of several enthusiastically awaited pictures at Venice, where it will compete for the famous Golden Lion.

Starring David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels and Robert Downey Jr., "Good Night. And, Good Luck" tells the story of broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow's efforts to expose the hounding tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee in their anti-communist crusade, according to Reuters.

Clooney's second film as director, which takes its name from Murrow's catchphrase, was produced with Section Eight, a venture with Steven Soderbergh.
The actor-director was influenced by his father, who was a news anchor with a high regard for the CBS broadcaster.

The Venice Festival opened with Seven Swords, a martial arts epic set during the Ching dynasty, directed by Tsui Hark, one of the biggest names in martial arts films, and will close with an Asian movie as well.