Watch as Angelina Jolie arrives for Venice Film Festival ahead of Brad Pitt’s appearance

Watch as Angelina Jolie and filmmaker Pablo Larrain arrive at the Venice Film Festival to present their film Maria.

Premiering on Thursday night (29 August), the biographical psychological drama stars Jolie as the legendary soprano Maria Callas, who during her brief life became one of the greatest opera singers of all time with her unparalleled voice and stage presence.

Callas died aged 53 after a heart attack.

Ahead of the festival, Larrain revealed that Jolie trained for six months to prepare for the role.

The singing in the film, which reportedly focuses on the final week of her life in 1977, is a blend of actor and the real thing.

Jolie’s ex-husband, Brad Pitt, is also expected to attend the film festival on Saturday.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera said the organisers took special care to keep the pair’s movies from overlapping on its schedule.

Other big names attending the event include Cate Blanchett, Daniel Craig, Tilda Swinton, Jude Law, Julianne Moore, Kevin Costner and Joaquin Phoenix.