Venice Film Fest puts Fonda in spotlight

ROME (Hollywood Reporter) - The Venice International Film Festival's International Critics Week will honor Peter Fonda with a special screening of the U.S. actor-director's directorial debut, "The Hired Hand." The 1971 film will unspool along with seven new first works premiering in the revamped sidebar, festival organizers said. Fonda is expected to make the trek to the lagoon to present a restored version of his low-key western, which - along with his acting roles in cult classics like "Easy Rider" and more recent performance in "Ulee's Gold" (1997) - has won Fonda a special place in the hearts of Italian film buffs.