Julianne Moore greets fans with a wave as she prepares for jury duty at the Venice Film Festival

Julianne Moore and Adam Driver were among the early arrivals as the 79th annual Venice International Film Festival prepared to get underway in the historic Italian city on Wednesday morning. 

The Hollywood stars greeted onlookers with a polite wave after arriving separately via water taxi, and obligatory mode of transport in a city built on 118 small islands and divided by an intricate network of winding canals. 

Both will be in attendance when the red carpet finally rolls outside the Venice Lido on Thursday evening, with Moore, 61 – who made her first appearance in Venice on Tuesday – serving as Jury President at this year’s star-studded ceremony. 

Driver, 38, will be on hand to promote latest film White Noise, an adaptation of the bestselling 1985 novel by American novelist Don DeLillo, with the film serving as a curtain-raiser at the event before moving on to the New York Film Festival in September. 

Here they come: Julianne Moore and Adam Driver were among the early arrivals as the 79th annual Venice International Film Festival prepared to get underway in the historic Italian city on Wednesday morning

Both looked relaxed as they made their way onto a jetty before taking the short journey to their respective hotels, where they will be expected to prepare for their press duties over the coming week. 

As always, Moore looked stylish in a double-breasted cream trouser-suit while greeting fans and posing for photographs alongside French film director and screenwriter Audrey Diwan, another jury member at this year’s ceremony whose screen credits include foreign language films Losing It and Happening. 

Conversely Driver opted for a casual, loose-fitting shirt and jeans as he alighted his water-taxi carrying a luggage bag before covering his instantly recognisable features with a protective face-mask. 

His latest film finds him starring alongside Greta Gerwig, Don Cheadle and Jodie Turner-Smith in director Noah Baumbach’s screen adaptation of DeLillo’s critically acclaimed postmodernist novel about an ‘Airborne Toxic Event’ and its impact on a small American town. 

Hello there: Moore greeted onlookers with a polite wave as she made her first appearance in Venice ahead of this year’s film festival, during which she will serve as Jury President 

Low-key: Driver opted for a casual, loose-fitting shirt and jeans as he alighted his water-taxi carrying a luggage bag before covering his instantly recognisable features with a protective face-mask

Looking good: Moore looked stylish in a double-breasted cream trouser suit while greeting fans and posing for photographs alongside French film director and screenwriter Audrey Diwan, another jury member at this year’s ceremony

Other members of this years jury, which will be presided over by Moore, include Argentinian director Mariano Cohn, British author Kazuo Ishiguro and Iranian actress Leila Hatami.

Those already in Venice ahead of Thursday’s curtain-raiser include Driver’s co-stars, Cheadle and Turner Smith, actress Tessa Thompson and Victoria’s Secret model Grace Elizabeth, who arrived on Tuesday. 

Attracting the biggest stars it’s held annually on the island of the Lido in the Venice Lagoon. With movie screenings taking place in the historic Palazzo del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi. 

This year’s line up will see divisive biopic Blonde, starring Ana De Armas as tragic screen icon Marilyn Monroe, battle it out for the competition’s top accolade.

Brendan Fraser’s moving drama The Whale, where he plays an obese professor, will also compete alongside films starring Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman and Colin Farrell.

Helping hand: A grateful Moore received some assistance as she climbed from her unsteady water-taxi on Wednesday 

She’s pleased: The celebrated actress appeared to be in high spirits as she greeted onlookers in the picturesque Italian city

Previously: Moore looked effortlessly chic in a dark blazer and jeans as she lead the stars arriving at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on Tuesday 

Beaming! The Oscar winner, who is the president of this year’s jury, beamed as she stepped off a water taxi to be met by director of the festival Alberto Barbera (right)

High glamour: Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio posed for a series of glamorous photos after venturing out in Venice on Wednesday morning 

All for you: She was pictured blowing kisses to fans and photographers while posing aboard a modest boat in Venice

Arrivals: Alessandra turned heads at the city’s airport the previous day, where she wore an alabaster vest and mocha jogging trousers which she layered with a chic blazer

Speaking about the line-up director of the event Alberto Barbera said: ‘The program is more varied than usual, placing affirmed filmmakers alongside directors in search of confirmation and, above all, talented newcomers aspiring for international recognition’.

‘But what still prevails is the feeling that “Cinema still wants to try to explore ways of thinking, big themes and big questions, the profound relationships that tie people to one another, the power of feelings and memory and the ability to push one’s gaze beyond the horizon of the present.”.

The Venice Film Festival is the world’s oldest and was first founded in 1932, celebrating filmmaking from around the world. 

Ravishing: Actress Jodie Turner-Smith looked ravishing in a chiffon ombre suit as she touched down in Venice 

Lovebirds: Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse appeared in high spirits as they arrived in Italy 

Stylish arrival: Grace Elizabeth went braless in a slinky blue satin camisole and flared jeans as she arrived in Venice on Tuesday ahead of the International Film Festival

Legs eleven! She teamed the look with high-waisted flared jeans, which highlighted her trim figure as she posed for photos 

Blonde: This year’s line up will see Blonde, starring Ana De Armas as Marilyn Monroe (pictured)  battle it out for the competition’s top accolade

Big names: Brendan Fraser’s moving drama The Whale, where he plays an obese professor (pictured) will also compete alongside films starring Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman and Colin Farrell

Quirky: Tessa Thompson wowed in a sheer yellow and black dress as she arrived in Venice ahead of this year’s ceremony

Arrivals: Don Cheadle opted for an all-blue ensemble as he threw a peace sign up for the cameras following his arrival