DUBAI: The opening red carpet of the 81st Venice Film Festival played host to a number of media and entertainment industry leaders from the Arab world on Wednesday. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle Jomana Alrashid, chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, and Mohammed Asseri, CEO, attended the opening ceremony alongside Saudi producer Mohammed Al-Turki, the foundation’s former CEO. They weren’t the only Arabs spotted on the red carpet. Lebanese presenter Raya Abirached also attended, wearing a pink cape gown by Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika. The Venice Film Festival kicked off with the devilish debut of Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” sequel and a surge of star power for the glitzy competition. Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Daniel Craig, Julianne Moore and Brad Pitt are among the A-listers expected over the next 10 days in Italy’s watery city for the world’s longest-running movie festival, known as “La Mostra.” The return of big-budget Hollywood pizzazz – after a low-key edition last year due to the Hollywood writers’ strike – was on full display with the out-of-competition world premiere of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” The film again features Michael Keaton as a chaos-causing ghoul, alongside Winona Ryder, Catherine O"Hara, Monica Bellucci and young star Jenna Ortega – who sported a backless red gauze confection that matched the red carpet. Wednesday’s opening ceremony saw Sigourney Weaver presented with a lifetime achievement Golden Lion, with the “Alien” star calling the honor "jet fuel of encouragement.” The festival shifts tone on Thursday, when eyes turn to Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas in “Maria,” Pablo Larrain’s biopic about the opera diva’s tormented life – one of 21 films in contention for the top Golden Lion prize to be awarded Sept. 7. Also much anticipated is the dark psychological thriller “Joker: Folie a Deux,” the sequel to US director Todd Phillips’ 2019 Venice-winning film loosely based on the DC Comics characters and set in a gritty Gotham City. The film brings back Joaquin Phoenix, who won an Oscar for his depiction of the failed clown descending into mental illness, this time paired with Lady Gaga as his sidekick and love interest Harley Quinn.