Italy's capital city braced for a star-studded event as its 12th film festival kicked off Thursday.

The opening movie is "Hostiles" by American director Scott Cooper, described as an unconventional Western starring Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike.

Set in the United States in 1892, it tells the story of an army officer who reluctantly accepts a mission to escort a dying Cheyenne chief back to his native land. The two rivals embark on an odyssey across the Wild West, in a voyage that is also a contemplation of good and evil.

Also in the official selection is "Detroit", a period crime drama by American director Kathryn Bigelow, the only woman ever to win an Oscar for directing for her war movie "The Hurt Locker" (2010). It is inspired by the 1967 riots that took place in the American industrial city, in which three African-Americans were killed and hundreds wounded.

Also from the United States is the comedy "Logan Lucky" by veteran filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, who has won an Oscar, a Palme d'Or from Cannes, and has many other awards under his belt. Starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Hilary Swank, and Daniel Craig, it tells the story of two brothers who attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.

Italy will be represented by two films: "A Private Question" by veteran and multi-award-winning directors Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, about a young man's romantic obsession set during the anti-Nazi Resistance during World War II, and "The Place" by Paolo Genovese, which screens as the festival's closing movie.

The Rome Film Festival runs until Nov. 5 with a total of 39 movies from 31 countries screening in the official selection.

Coming up next month in Italy is the 35th Torino Film Festival, from Nov. 24 to Dec. 2 held in the northern Italian city at the foot of the Alps. That festival is set to open with the film "Finding Your Feet", which organizers describe as a brilliant and bittersweet comedy by British director Richard Loncraine, starring Imelda Staunton and Timothy Spall.