MUMBAI: World premieres of films by directors Sofia Coppola and Darren Aronofsky are the highlights of this year‘s Venice film festival that will be held from 1 to 11 September.

Twenty-three films will vie for the top Golden Lion award at the 67th edition of the world‘s oldest film festival with Quentin Tarantino heading the jury that will pick the winner.

Aronofsky, who won the Golden Lion in 2008 with The Wrestler, will be opening the festival with his film Black Swan, a psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel and Winona Ryder.

Francis Ford Coppola‘s daughter Sofia, who won an Oscar for best original screenplay with Lost in Translation comes back with Somewhere that is the story of a jaded actor and his estranged young daughter.

Richard J. Lewis brings to the screen Mordecai Richler‘s book Barney‘s Version with Paul Giamatti playing the politically incorrect and irascible lead role.

Films by Vincent Gallo, Julian Schnabel and Abdellatif Kechiche will also be screened in the main competition that includes four Italian films and a mix of titles from Japan, China, Russia, Greece and Chile.

The festival,that has a budget of $16 million often serves as a launching pad for the Oscar awards.