Rome - (AFP) - A large number of stars, most notably actresses Penelope Croth, Cate Blanchett, Catherine Deneuve and actor Timothée Chalamet, are expected to attend the 79th Venice Film Festival , in which directors Darren Aronofsky, Alejandro Iñárritu and Luca Guadagnino will compete for the Lion Prize. Golden for Best Film.

23 films were included in the competition for the festival, which will be held between August 31 and September 10, and the artistic director of the festival, Alberto Barbera, confirmed during his online announcement of the program that the goal of the competition is to be an "open window to the world." Barbera denounced the arrest of three directors in Iran.

One of them, Jaafar Panahi, who is supposed to be serving a six-year prison sentence for "propaganda against the regime," is competing for the Venice Film Festival prize for his film with "Christ's Nest" ("Bears Don't Exist").

This year, the festival will feature the participation of a number of stars who will walk the red carpet, such as Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, who plays the title role in the Italian film "Limencita" by Emanuele Crialesi, while Australian Cate Blanchett plays the role of conductor in Todd Field's "Tar".

The festival also witnesses the return of American director Darren Aronofsky with the movie "The Whale", based on a play, starring Brendan Fraser.

While five French films are participating in the competition, Mexican Alejandro Iñárritu is one of the most prominent contenders this year with "Bardo", which Barbera described as "very personal".

The title is also sought by the movie “Bones and All” by Italian director Luca Guadagnino, and it includes in its Hollywood lineup Timothée Chalamet and Chloe Sevigny.

Britain's Tilda Swinton takes on the lead role in Joanna Hogg's "The Eternal Daughter," while Colin Farrell stars in Martin McDonough's "The Banshees of Enchantment."

"Blonde", directed by Andrew Dominick and based on Marilyn Monroe, starring Ana de Armas as the star and Adrien Brody, is expected to be well received.

"All the Beauty and the Bloodshed" by Laura Poitras centers on the campaigning of photographer Nan Goldin regarding the opioid scandal in the United States.

The competition opens with "White Noise" by Noah Bomback, with Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig. American actress Julianne Moore chairs the jury, which also includes members of the most prominent French director Audrey Diwan and Nobel Prize winner for literature Kazuo Ishiguro.

As usual, the festival witnesses a number of out-of-competition events, including the screening of Gianfranco Rossi's documentary "In Viago" ("On a Journey"), which is full of scenes from Pope Francis' visits to various countries.

The noise of the war is not absent from the festival through several works, most notably two documentaries, one about Ukraine, and the second about a British woman who was recruiting elements for the Islamic State.

French actress Isabelle Huppert will appear in the parallel section "Horizons" with "La Syndicalist" directed by Jean-Paul Salomé, while the controversial American director Oliver Stone will present his new documentary. Another French star, Catherine Deneuve, receives an honorary golden lion.

One of the most prominent stars who will come to Venice is English pop star Harry Styles, who stars with Chris Pine in Olivia Wilde's movie "Don't Worry Darling".