Frankenstein's monster, Vladimir Putin, vindictive bosses, nuclear war and at the end a Golden Lion. The 82nd Venice Film Festival begins on Wednesday.

Dozens of stars are expected on the Lido, major directorial talents are bidding for comebacks and a strong field of films are competing.

AFP selects some of the anticipated highlights and talking points for the August 27 to September 6 glam-fest:

- The main competition -

A total of 21 films are in the running for the Golden Lion, the festival's top prize, won last year by "The Room Next Door" by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar.

The most keenly awaited titles include:

- "The Wizard of the Kremlin" by Olivier Assayas

An adaptation of a best-selling book of the same name about Putin's rise to power, featuring British actor Jude Law as

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