Roman Polanski and gender parity dominate the Venice Film Festival

The 76th Venice Film festival, which has become the launchpad for the Oscar race, has a host of Hollywood heavyweights in a line-up including Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Kristen Stewart, Meryl Streep, and Scarlett Johansson.

But as stars arrived for the gala launch, the world's oldest film festival was already entangled in controversy.

A glittering crowd of A-listers swept up the red carpet as the Venice film festival opened in flurry stardom on Wednesday, but the 11-day celebration of cinema is battling scandal over the inclusion of director Roman Polanski.

Venice, facing criticism for having just two films directed by women out of 21 in the running for its top prize, has sparked further fury with the films it has chosen.

Campaigners have branded the festival of being out of touch in the era of #MeToo by including Polanski. It is also presenting a new film in a sidebar event from director Nate Parker, who was embroiled in a rape trial while still at university.

Festival director Alberto Barbera defended his decision to include Polanski, calling him "one of the last masters still active in European cinema", at an opening press conference for the festival dominated by the issue.

He "never had doubts" about including Polanski's film, he said, adding "we have to distinguish between the art and the man" when judging the works of the filmmaker, who was convicted for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old in 1978.

Venice runs from today through September 7.