But the film journalists attending this year complain that they are shut out of these celebs, with studios and PR agents blocking access to stars.

Few of the top VIPs in Venice this year are doing international press interviews or taking part in “junkets” where the cast of a movie does sit-down interviews with journalists from international outlets.

Pitt, Jolie, Clooney, Phoenix and others will only be doing the official festival press conference and nothing else.

Tim Burton and the cast of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice walked the Venice red carpet for the world premiere, but the studio junket was held in London on Thursday.

“It’s a disaster,” says Marco Consoli, Italian freelance journalist. “We live off these interviews with the big names, it pays for us to come here and to cover the smaller independent films as well.”

“Venice Film Festival has just started and we know already that many films with a world premiere at the festival this year will not give any interviews to the press. Zero,” the letter reads. “This decision, influenced by the studios and supported by publicists, puts in jeopardy an entire category of journalists, the freelancers, whose passionate and relentless work help in the success of films, give voice and prestige to directors and actors, and contribute to igniting the debate on projects aiming for the Oscars and other prestigious awards.”

“For certain films, which might not have worldwide distribution in place yet, or not have a marketing plan [the festivals] are being seen more as a place to test the water a little bit here before studios actually embark on a marketing strategy, with press interviews, etc.,” says McDonald.

“Actors are increasingly less willing to do lots of interviews.”

Asked about the issue, the Venice Fest director Barbera said he wasn’t aware of the problem and promised: “I will look into it.” But Barbera noted that the festival does not control the marketing decisions made by the studios.