ROME, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Nicole Kidman's new movie "Fur" will premier Friday at the opening of the Rome Film Fest.
The film, about American photographer Diane Arbus, is one of 95 productions from around the world to be screened at the inaugural of the nine-day event.
Sixteen films will compete for the grand prize; however the Los Angeles Times noted Thursday that none of the contenders are American.
The Times said the debut of the Rome Film Fest fills a void in the city that the great director Federico Fellini used as his pallet. It is the creation of the city's mayor, Walter Veltroni, as part of a broader program to re-energize the immortal city.
The festival, however, has irked Venice, which has hosted one of the cinema world's most notable film festivals for the past 50 years. The Times said the Rome organizers don't see a great deal of competition between the types movies the two festivals attract.
