THE RED carpet at the Palazzo del Cinema is vacuumed in time for the opening of the 64th Venice Film Festival.

Lav Diaz, the Filipino filmmaker known for his audacious, marathon films such as “Batang Westside” and “Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino,” gets the closing night honors in the festival’s Horizons (Documentary) section.

The running time of his latest masterpiece, “Kagadanan sa banwaan ning mga Engkanto (Death in the Land of Encantos)”? Oh, just a mere nine hours.

Editor’s note: Photo by Ruben V. Nepales

WE are in Berlin to visit Tom Cruise on the set of his latest movie, “Valkyrie,” a thriller based on the true story of several German officers’ attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944.

Tom plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who came from a prominent Catholic family in Germany, and who was the one who carried out the mission to kill Hitler and stop his atrocious regime.

A bomb in a briefcase that Stauffenberg placed in a room exploded but Hitler survived. Stauffenberg and his fellow conspirators were immediately executed on this spot marked by a simple plaque and wreath.

It was a sobering experience to visit this site and reflect on what-might-have-beens had Stauffenberg been successful in his assassination attempt.

The daring story of Stauffenberg, who is considered a hero in Germany, is virtually unknown internationally.

Editor’s note: Photo by Ruben V. Nepales

FIL-AM hip-hop artists recently made it to the cover of LA Weekly, El Lay’s alternative weekly publication.

The cover story titled “The Fil-Am Invasion,” which was written by Sam Slovick, appeared with the sub-head, “Embedded with the hip-hop movement that’s taking over Hollywood.” The piece heralded the rise of hyphenated Filipinos as DJs in the burgeoning party scene in LA and in key cities across the US.

Well, all those ballroom dancing parties that their Pinoy parents dragged these kids to are paying off. These DJs with names like Q-Bert and Jep are lording it over the club scene in Hollywood and other parts of the LA area.

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ATTENTION Fil-Am actresses: cut your hair short now but leave enough for the bangs so you can look like Neile McQueen Toffel when you audition to play her in a coming film about the late Steve McQueen.

“My Husband, My Friend,” a book by the Manila-born Neile about her life with the legendary actor, will soon be turned into a movie. Neile has just announced that Kevin Kasha, an executive at New Line Home Entertainment, optioned the movie rights to her book.

A statement released by the author, actress, singer and dancer through a publicist stated, “A search is now underway to cast the actors who will portray the popular and enduring screen icon, Steve McQueen, and his former wife, actress and entertainer Neile McQueen Toffel, who is the mother of McQueen’s children and was by his side for 15 ½ years during the production of all of his major films.”

Neile is said to be related to the Salvador showbiz family in the Philippines.