Clooney honoured as Hollywood-light Venice Film Festival kicks off

US actor and filmmaker George Clooney signs autographs during the red carpet event ahead the screening of “Ink” and the Opening ceremony of the 83rd International Venice Film Festival, at Venice Lido

A smiling George Clooney was honoured with a lifetime award at the start of the Venice Film Festival where the long-time Donald Trump critic took another swipe at the US president.

The 65-year-old Oscar winner was called a "legend" by actress friend Laura Dern as she presented him with the gong in front of a star-studded audience at the start of the 83rd edition of the festival.

Clooney, accompanied by his lawyer wife Amal, was cheered by hundreds of well-wishers on the red carpet, while Dern read out tributes from past co-stars including Brad Pitt and Adam Sandler during the ceremony.

"When you start reflecting on the years, you realise you really didn't have a career as much as a series of happy accidents," Clooney told the audience.

Earlier at a press conference, the "Ocean's Eleven" star told journalists that the United States was currently a "kakistocracy, which is a country run by the least qualified people.

"I think maybe we have a kakistocracy right now, but we'll get through it," he added.

The issue of women representation in the film industry was also a major topic on day one of the festival after director Alberto Barbera chose only two women-directed films in the 21-strong main competition.

Actor-turned-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, head of the jury this year, openly questioned his choices during a press conference with Barbera earlier in the day.

"There's a systemic problem," she told reporters, referring to the difficulties many women have to get films financed and their preference for different topics to men.

"I really am walking in with a question as to why there's so few women in the main competition as filmmakers this year," she added.

Clooney provided some much-needed American razzle-dazzle, with Hollywood studios largely staying away from the event this year.

The US majors as well as streaming giants Amazon and Netflix also snubbed the Berlin and Cannes festivals earlier this year, Europe's other two biggest film events.

Although Venice might lack mass-market blockbusters, there is no shortage of larger-than-life subjects, with films about Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch and the volatile Gallagher brothers from the Britpop band Oasis.