THE 80th Venice International Film Festival kicked off in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday evening, with a diverse line-up of movies competing for the prestigious Golden Lion prize.

This year’s event runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 9 at the Venice Lido, opening with Italian director Edoardo De Angelis’ film “Comandante.”

The international jury for the main competition is presided over by Damien Chazelle, best known for directing “Whiplash” and “La La Land.”

Consisting of nine experienced filmmakers, screenwriters and actors, the jury will assign the Golden Lion for best film and other official awards to the feature films in the main competition. This year, 23 movies are vying for the Golden Lion.

Chinese actress Shu Qi, a multiple winner of the Hong Kong Film Award and Golden Horse Award, is a member of the jury for the main competition.

Meanwhile, Italian director Liliana Cavani was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement on the festival’s opening night. Actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai of Hong Kong, China, will also be presented with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement later this week, according to the schedule of the festival.

In addition to the films shown in the main competition, some 19 fiction films and documentaries, two television series, and a short film will play out of competition. A rich variety of works representing new aesthetic trends and creative virtual reality technology will also be shown in the Horizons category. (Xinhua)