Korean director Kim Ki-duk's latest film "Pieta" has been invited to a competitive section of this year's Venice International Film Festival, the movie's local distributor said.

"Pieta" was among the 18 films chosen to compete for the prestigious Golden Lion award at the 69th Venice film festival, which runs from Aug. 29 to Sept. 8, NEW, the distributor, said in a release Thursday.

It is the first time that a Korean film will vie for the top prize in the Venice film festival, one of the world's three most authoritative events, since Park Chan-wook's "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" in 2005.

"Pieta" marks Kim's fourth film to go to Venice since "The Isle" (2000), "Address Unknown" (2001) and "3-Iron" (2004).

The movie, Kim's 18th in total and named after a masterpiece sculpture by Michelangelo, depicts the confusion suffered by an evil man who is visited by a mysterious woman claiming to be his birth mother and concealing a tragic secret.

Debuting in 1996 with "Crocodile," Kim won prizes at Venice and Berlin for "3-Iron" and "Samaritan Girl" both in 2004. He is also known for his 2003 film, "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring," which depicted the life of a Buddhist monk and his young protege while encapsulating features of Buddhist philosophy.

"Pieta" is scheduled to open at local theaters on Sept. 6. (Yonhap)