It was announced today that “Gravity” will open the acclaimed Venice Film Festival in August (out of competition). Let’s hope Sandra will attend the opening ceremony!

Gravity, the new, much-awaited film directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Y tu mamá también, Children of Men), starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, is the opening film (Out of Competition) of the 70th Venice International Film Festival (August 28 – September 7, 2013). The Festival is directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by the Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta.

The world premiere of Gravity will be screened in 3D on August 28th in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema at the Lido, following the opening ceremony.

Gravity, from Warner Bros. Pictures, is a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. In the film, Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone – tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth… and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space. The last time Venice opened with a science fiction movie was in 2000 with Space Cowboys by Clint Eastwood, at the 57th Film Festival, directed by Alberto Barbera.

Gravity was written by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón. It was produced by Alfonso Cuarón and David Heyman (theHarry Potter series). Chris deFaria, Nikki Penny and Stephen Jones are the executive producers. The credits also include Emmanuel Lubezki (Children of Men, Y tu mamá también, The New World) as director of photography, production design by Andy Nicholson (Alice in Wonderland), and costume design by Jany Temime (theHarry Potter series). The visual effects supervisor is Tim Webber (The Dark Knight). Music is by Steven Price (Attack the Block). Gravity was filmed entirely at London’s Shepperton Studios. It will be distributed worldwide in 3D and 2D, and in IMAX©, by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros Entertainment Company.

–Source