Advent Children to debut in Venice

Square Enix' eagerly anticipated movie follow-up to the classic Final Fantasy VII is set to be screened for the first time outside Japan in the Venizia Digitale category of the Venice International Film Festival this September.

The feature-length movie, which continues the story of the hugely successful PlayStation RPG title, is set to be released on DVD in Japan later this summer, and will also appear on the UMD disc format used by PSP movies.

Advent Children is the first time that Square Enix has returned to the world of Final Fantasy VII, and is also the first full movie to be created by the firm's CG animation department since the ill-fated Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within - the commercial failure of which forced the resignation of several key Square executives.

"We are honoured to be a part of Venizia Digitale," according to movie director - and long-time game series contributor - Tetsuya Nomura, "this exciting new category that highlights the value of innovation and artistry of digital imagery."

"As we continually strive to create digital entertainment that pushes the boundaries of technology and art, we welcome the opportunity to become a part of the world cinema community through the Venice International Film Festival," he continued.

Although no release date has been set as yet, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is expected to launch in North America and Europe on both DVD and UMD in the future. Square Enix has also confirmed that it is working on another FFVII spin-off, a mobile prequel title called FFVII: Before Crisis, while rumours abound of another prequel, possibly for the PSP platform, which would feature the mysterious character Vincent in the lead role.