George Clooney directs and stars in Goodnight and Good Luck

Clooney's Goodnight and Good Luck will compete with films directed by Ang Lee, Terry Gilliam and actor John Turturro for the prestigious Golden Lion award.

Steven Soderbergh and Tim Burton have films screening out of competition.

"This shows how important Venice now is for American cinema," said artistic director Marco Mueller on Thursday.

There are 19 films in total in the main competition line-up.

As previously predicted, they include Gilliam's Brothers Grimm, Lee's Brokeback Mountain, Proof starring Gwyneth Paltrow and The Constant Gardener with Ralph Fiennes.

Surprise addition

Turturro's third film as director, Romance and Cigarettes, also makes the cut alongside films from such celebrated auteurs as Abel Ferrara, Patrice Chereau and Portugal's Manoel de Oliviera.

Heath Ledger and Matt Damon play the Brothers Grimm in Gilliam's film

Soderbergh's murder mystery Bubble, Burton's stop-motion animation Corpse Bride and Cameron Crowe's comedy romance Elizabethtown are among the 18 films that will be screened out of competition.

"We have a record 11 US features in the line-up, including nine world premieres, which has never happened in Venice," Mr Mueller told reporters.

He added there could also be a surprise last-minute addition to the competition line-up.

Alongside Paltrow, Fiennes and Clooney, this year's festival could attract such high-profile stars as Kate Winslet, Susan Sarandon, Matt Damon and Tim Robbins.

Last year's Golden Lion was won by Mike Leigh's abortion drama Vera Drake, which also won a best actress prize for Britain's Imelda Staunton.