<i>Black Dahlia</i> to open Venice Film Fest

Director Brian De Palma's film The Black Dahlia has been chosen to open the Venice Film Festival to be held in Italy next month. This is the fifth time that the director debuts a film at the festival since 1975's Sisters. Based on the crime novel --Black Dahlia by James Ellroy, the movie stars two time Oscar winner Hilary Swank and Scarlett Johansson.

The story centers around two cops who investigate the murder of an unknown actress. During the course of the investigation they meet corrupt colleagues and other people who are part of the Los Angeles crime world. Johansson is playing the role of a woman whom both men love.

James Ellory's novel tells the story of the murder of 22 year old Elizabeth Short whose body was found chopped in two and dumped in a vacant lot in Los Angeles in 1947. Nicknamed as Black Dahlia, her murderer was never found.