George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman are just some of the stars expected at the 65th Venice Film Festival.
There are 21 films in competition for the festival's prestigious Golden Lion prize - which will be awarded by a jury headed by German director Wim Wenders.
BBC News entertainment reporter Neil Smith is on the Lido to give us the lowdown on this year's event.
WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST 0900 LOCAL TIME (0800 BST)
My first full day at the Venice Film Festival begins with a screening of Burn After Reading, the new black comedy from the Oscar-winning Smith reeling after Kaunas defeat ...
Abbas, Olmert to meet in Jerusalem ...
Gary Glitter 'release date set' ...
U.S. actor Danny Glover to arrive at Karlovy Vary film festival ... Coen brothers.
I'm a big fan of their work so I'm keen to see what it's like - as is one of its stars, British actress Tilda Swinton.
The two of us flew in on the same plane yesterday, separated only by about 30 rows of seats, 200 passengers and a retractable curtain.
But I got the chance to say hello at Venice airport while we were waiting for our luggage to appear on the baggage carousel.
Tilda is only in town for a few days but is hoping to catch Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, the latest feature from Japanese anime guru Hayao Miyazaki, while she's here.
Watching her get so animated about his work has made me want to see it too.
I doubt I'll be able to get quite so up close and personal with George Clooney and Brad Pitt later at the Burn After Reading press conference.
But at least I know where it's taking place, having spent my first few hours on Italian soil yesterday familiarising myself with the festival HQ.
Located on the Lido, the thin strip of land and sand that separates ancient Venice from the Adriatic, the Palazzo del Cinema is an imposing edifice that dates back to Mussolini's day.
I suspect, though, I will be spending most of my time in its neighbour, the no less dramatic Palazzo del Casino.
This is where the morning press screenings are held, and also where the festival organisers put on their famously disorganised press conferences.
Will today's be any different? I'll let you know later.
(BBC)
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