VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: (L-R) Film producer Nansun Shi, actress Carina Lau, director Tsui Hark, actor Andy Lau, actress Li Bingbing producer Zhonglei Wang and actor Deng Chao attend the 'Detective Dee And The Mystery Of Phantom Flame' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 5, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: Tsui Hark attends the 'Detective Dee And The Mystery Of Phantom Flame' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 5, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: Actor Andy Lau attends the 'Detective Dee And The Mystery Of Phantom Flame' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 5, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: Pace Wu attends the 'Detective Dee And The Mystery Of Phantom Flame' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 5, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: Deng Chao attends the 'Detective Dee And The Mystery Of Phantom Flame' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 5, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: Carina Lau attends the 'Detective Dee And The Mystery Of Phantom Flame' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 5, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: Andy Lau attends the 'Detective Dee And The Mystery Of Phantom Flame' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 5, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: Li Bingbing attends the 'Detective Dee And The Mystery Of Phantom Flame' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 5, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: Pace Wu attends the 'Detective Dee And The Mystery Of Phantom Flame' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 5, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: Pace Wu attends the 'Detective Dee And The Mystery Of Phantom Flame' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 5, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
US actress Natalie Portman arrives for the screening of 'The black swan' opening the 67th Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2010 at Venice Lido.'The black swan' by US director Darren Aronofsky with US actress Natalie Portman and French actor Vincent Cassel is presented as part of the Venezia 67 competition.
US Director and President of the Venezia 67 jury, Quentin Tarantino arrives for the screening of 'The black swan' opening the 67th Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2010 at Venice Lido.'The black swan' by US director Darren Aronofsky with US actress Natalie Portman and French actor Vincent Cassel is presented as part of the Venezia 67 competition.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Elisa Sednaoui attends the Opening Ceremony and 'Black Swan' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Elisa Sednaoui and guest attends the Opening Ceremony and 'Black Swan' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Jasmine Trinca attends the Opening Ceremony and 'Black Swan' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Margareth Made attends the Opening Ceremony and 'Black Swan' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Actress Isabella Ragonese attends the Opening Ceremony during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Kfenia Solo attends the Opening Ceremony and 'Black Swan' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Violante Placido attends the Opening Ceremony and 'Black Swan' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Giulio Base (L) and Tiziana Rocca attend the Opening Ceremony and 'Black Swan' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Matilde Brandi and her husband attends the Opening Ceremony and 'Black Swan' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Margareth Made attends the Lancia On The Red Carpet At 67th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Jo Champa attends the Lancia On The Red Carpet At 67th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Franca Sozzani and guest attend the Lancia On The Red Carpet At 67th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Jo Champa attends the Lancia On The Red Carpet At 67th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Violante Placido attends the Lancia On The Red Carpet At 67th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Violante Placido attends the Lancia On The Red Carpet At 67th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Elisa Sednaoui and guest attends the Lancia On The Red Carpet At 67th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
(L to R) Hong Kong actors Shawn Yue and Donnie Yen pose with director Andrew Lau during the red carpet for their film "The Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen" at the 67th Venice Film Festival September 1, 2010.
Director Andrew Lau (R) poses with his wife during the red carpet for "The Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen" at the 67th Venice Film Festival September 1, 2010
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Oliver Francois and Arianna Martina Bergamaschi attend the Lancia On The Red Carpet At 67th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
US actress Natalie Portman and US director Darren Aronofsky arrive for the screening of 'The black swan' opening the 67th Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2010 at Venice Lido.'The black swan' by US director Darren Aronofsky with US actress Natalie Portman and French actor Vincent Cassel is presented as part of the Venezia 67 competition.
(From L) French actor Vincent Cassel, US actress Natalie Portman and US director Darren Aronofsky arrive for the screening of 'The black swan' opening the 67th Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2010 at Venice Lido.'The black swan' by US director Darren Aronofsky with Natalie Portman and French actor Vincent Cassel is presented as part of the Venezia 67 competition.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Irene Wang attend the 'Legend Of The Fist: The Return Of Chen Zhen' premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on September 1, 2010 in Venice, Italy.
Actors Jessica Alba (C), Danny Trejo (L) and director Robert Rodriguez pose during the Machete red carpet at the 67th Venice Film Festival September 1, 2010. The world's oldest film festival opened September 1 and closes on September 11.
Actress Jessica Alba waves during the "Machete"movie red carpet at the 67th Venice Film Festival September 1, 2010. The world's oldest film festival opens September 1 and closes on September 11.
Actress Jessica Alba adjusts her dress during the "Machete" red carpet at the 67th Venice Film Festival September 1, 2010. The world's oldest film festival opened September 1 and closes on September 11.
Actress Jessica Alba poses for photographers during the "Machete" red carpet at the 67th Venice Film Festival September 1, 2010. The world's oldest film festival opened September 1 and closes on September 11.
Director Robert Rodriguez takes a picture during the movie "Machete" red carpet at the 67th Venice Film Festival September 1, 2010. The world's oldest film festival opens September 1 and closes on September 11.
Ladies in red: Natalie Portman wore red chiffon to the opening movie of Venice Film Festival, Black Swan, while Jessica Alba wore floral Dolce and Gabbana at a photocall for her film Machete
They say never wear scarlet on the red carpet.
But Jessica Alba and Natalie Portman proved fashion rules are always made to be broken, both choosing scarlet dresses for the opening of the Venice Film Festival this evening.
The actresses looked equally stunning, in their very different gowns.
Jessica chose a floral Dolce and Gabanna number, which she teamed with tough black platform heels, an armful of bangles and a simple straight hairdo. She then changed into a stunning black mini dress with long train for the first night screening of her movie Machete.
Natalie chose a more traditional style evening gown in red chiffon, slit to the waist to reveal her shapely legs.
Strike a pose: Jessica keeps her self- assurance, despite the huge number of photographers
Hollywood in Venice: Vincent Cassel and Natalie Portman attend the Opening Ceremony at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema
The 29-year-old wore her hair coiled in an updo as she arrived for the opening film, Darron Aronofsky's Black Swan, in which she plays an ageing ballerina.
It came as Quentin Tarantino said the festival lineup was 'one of the most wildest, cool, eclectic lineups' he'd ever seen.
Tarantino heads the jury that will judge 22 films from 11 countries, plus one surprise film to be announced next week, for the coveted Golden Lion.
Quick change: Jessica stepped into a black minidress with train for the screening of her new movie Machete
The director of Inglourious Basterds knows about festival lineups.
This isn't his first jury. In fact, the director confessed to hosting his own private festivals, lining up 15 DVDs and judging himself which was the best, a sort of unofficial Tarantino Film Fest.
He told reporters on Wednesday that he once he ran into director German filmmaker Tom Tykwer and told him: 'I did a little film festival for myself, and you won. Perfume won!'
Fairytale gowns: Italian actress Isabella Ragonese and Italian model Elisa Sednaoui
All the dresses: Italian actress Violante Placido, Tunisian model Afef Jnifen and Italian actress Margareth Made
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQo6rhMFhVgendofvid [starttext] By Christopher Leake
Death toll: Seventeen people died in a tunnel in the city of Duisburg, Germany after a crush in this tunnel at the Love Parade festival
Crush began after 'police tried to restrict access to area'
Revellers attempted to climb walls to escape scene
At least 80 others injured, 20 in serious condition
Seventeen people were killed and 80 injured last night when mass panic broke out at a German music festival.
The victims were crushed and emergency workers had trouble getting through to them after a stampede during the annual Love Parade techno music festival in the city of Duisburg, attended by up to 1.4million people.
Witnesses described piles of bodies stacked on top of each other and revellers climbing walls to escape the crush.
One man slumps to the ground exhausted after escaping the crush (left) while a woman has to be helped away by friends
Many were pinned shoulder to shoulder in the tunnel and unable to move. People standing on the motorway bridge above the scene could only watch helpless as at least 15 were crushed to death.
Duisburg police director Ralf Klauckmass said there had been ‘mass panic’.
The stampede broke out after authorities tried to stop thousands from entering the area where the parade was being held in the grounds of an old freight depot.
Police said that of the 80 people who were hurt, at least 20 were severely injured.
Foreign Office officials said it was not known last night if any Britons were among the dead at the popular festival north of Dusseldorf. But it is thought large numbers of British fans were in the audience.
Desperate: Revellers clung on to stairs and tried to climb walls to escape the crush which began after thousands entered the tunnel
Eyewitnesses told last night of the stampede. ‘It was hell,’ said Karl Lowenstein, 21, who was in the tunnel. ‘It was dark and it was full. Something happened – whether someone tripped or someone fell I don’t know.
'But there was a stampede to get to the other end and those who fell, well, many of them never got up again.’
Kevin Krausgartner, 21, said: ‘I have never seen anything like it. I saw 25 people piled on top of one another in a huge heap. I cried.
‘People couldn’t get any air. I saw the dead there. One person was completely pale and I wanted to give him some water, but a medic said that wouldn’t help him – he was gone. I saw police on the bridge just standing there. They didn’t do anything.’
Horrific: Two bodies lie covered by blankets at the entrance to the tunnel on the industrial estate
Emergency: Police run to the scene of the crush but there was little that could be done for some victims
'There was no escape,' one Love Parade participant named Marius told the Bild.de website. 'People were pressed into the wall. I was afraid I'd die.'
One woman raver told Bild: 'I was lucky. I found a hole to escape through but two women were killed right next to me.'
Another man described trying to give one of the injured water to be told by a rescue worker 'don't bother with him, he's dead.'
One woman said getting through the tunnel as 'trying to pass through the eye of a needle.'
'The tunnel was too narrow to cope with the number of people taking the short-cut and should have been closed by crowd controllers before the parade even began,' she said.
There were scenes of complete chaos (left) as revellers tried desperately to escape the area: Ambulances were lined up to ferry the injured to hospital
Breakdown in crowd control: A general view of the area in the shows how many people were crammed into the tunnel at the time of the crush
Emergency services tend to the injured: 'In the tunnel people couldn't move - they couldn't go backwards or forwards and that's when the panic broke out'
Police and ambulance workers were later seen giving the kiss of life to victims. Many people continued partying as the air was filled with the noise of emergency sirens, unaware of the tragedy taking place.
Rescue squads had to fight their way through an ocean of people but ten other victims were resuscitated.
A state of emergency was declared in the city last night. Although more than 1,200 police officers were on duty, they said they were powerless to prevent the tragedy.
A police spokesman said: ‘It is a catastrophe that we are struggling to cope with.’
Police commissioner Jurgen Kieskemper said: ‘The situation is chaotic.’ He later added it was a ‘miracle’ that the number of wounded was ‘quite low’.
Rescue: An injured woman is carried away on a stretcher before being taken to hospital
Walking wounded: Revellers walk away from the scene after escaping with minor injuries
Another witness, named as Fabio, claimed he tried to warn police before the stampede that trouble was brewing.
‘A friend and I got out as hundreds more poured in,’ he said. ‘We tried to tell the police to close it down but they didn’t listen. This was 45 minutes before people were killed.’
People had been using the tunnel as a short-cut on the Love Parade, which consisted of 15 floats which set off at 2pm.
Despite the scale of the tragedy unfolding at the entrance to a former freight rail station, the one-day techno festival continued as planned.
Organisers feared cancelling the event would only cause a second panic.
Over 1.5 million revellers had gathered for the annual techno music festival in Duisburg, which is near Dusseldorf.
Popular: Around 1.5million people were attending this year's Love Parade which used to be held in Berlin
It had emerged that police had warned Love Parade organisers that there would be problems with crowd control if this year's event was held in the city centre.
Instead, the festival was moved a mile out of Duisburg to a less enclosed area. But the decision appears to have backfired.
They told revellers over loudspeakers to turn around and walk back in the direction they had come from before the panic broke out, he said.
Meanwhile other revellers, still oblivious to the tragic events unfolding in another part of the parade, continue to party.
The Love Parade was once an institution in Berlin, but has been held in the industrial Ruhr region of western Germany since 2007.
The original Berlin Love Parade grew from a 1989 peace demonstration into a huge outdoor celebration of club culture that drew about 1.5 million people at its peak in 1999.
But it suffered from financial problems and tensions with city officials in later years, and eventually moved.
