Brian De Palma will returnto the Biennale with a film for the first time in 14 years as it was announcedhis star-studded film noir The Black Dahlia will open the 63rd Venice International FilmFestival on Aug 30.

Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart star in theJames Ellroy adaptation and to add to the event's lustre Johansson and Swankplan to attend with De Palma and production designer Dante Ferretti.

Inspired by the notorious 1940s murder in Los Angeles of an aspiring actress, TheBlack Dahlia follows the fate of twopolice officers who investigate the killing and uncover corruption within thedepartment.

Both men are in love with the same woman and the intrigue intensifies when oneof them embarks upon a passionate affair with another woman and sets off tofind his missing partner.

Art Linson, Rudy Cohen, Moshe Diamant and Avi Lerner produced the picture,which 01 Distribution will release in Italy at the end of October. Universalhas scheduled a North American release for Sept 15.

"We are honoured that Brian De Palma has chosen to open the 63rd Festival withhis new and long-awaited thriller, thus confirming his strong links withVenice," Venice Biennale president Davide Croff and festival's artisticdirector Marco Mueller said in a joint statement.

"He was invited here in 1975 with one of his first films, Sisters, and in September, De Palma will appear on theparade in front of the Palazzo del Cinema for the fifth time."

De Palma's other pictures that screened at Venice were The Untouchables, Blow Out, and most recently Raising Cain in 1992.

The filmmaker's upcoming projects include the horror film Toyer, which is in pre-production and scheduled to open in2007, and The Untouchables: Capone Rising.

The 63rd Venice Film Festival is scheduled to run from Aug 30-Sept 9. For moredetails visit the official website at www.labiennale.org/en/cinema.