Roman Polanski's latest movie looks set to premiere at this year's Venice Film Festival, raising questions about whether the director will risk leaving France to take part in the event.

The Polish film-maker, who is sought by Interpol for fleeing U.S. justice over a 1977 sexual assault case, has long ties with the Italian festival.

It was victory in Venice that launched Polanski's international career, when he won the Critics Prize for his first full-length feature, Knife in the Water, in 1962.

Italian daily La Repubblica reported that Carnage, Polanski's current project, will be showing in Venice, although the qualifiers for the main competition will not be confirmed until July.

The new film is based on God of Carnage, an award-winning play by Yasmina Reza.

The plot revolves around a conciliatory dinner held by two middle-class couples after their children scrap in the playground.

However, politeness soon goes down the drain, and the evening goes sharply downhill. (nh)