Critics say, as an artistic director himself, festival director Marco Mueller is taking more American-make arthouse films to the Venice, letting people know that US movies are not all blockbusters.

The irrepressible Quentin Tarantino will head the jury that hands out the coveted Golden Lion at the end of the September 1st to 11th event. Stars expected in Venice this year include Natalie Portman, Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck, and Catherine Deneuve, but according to critics, that's still a far cry from the star-studded red carpet of previous years. Critics also say the Venice Film Festival is struggling to fight off competition from Toronto, which overlaps with Venice and features many of the same movies.

But Youth, at least, is on Venice's side, with the average age of filmmakers in the main competition an unusually low 47.