Designer Tom Ford has made the move from runway to the big screen with a flourish with his directorial debut “A Single Man,”  a highly stylized account of a gay college professor dealing with the loss of his lover.

Colin Firth has sparked Oscar buzz with his performance, which won him the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival, and the Weinstein Company bought distribution rights for the movie at Toronto. That means the public will soon get their own chance to judge whether designer-turned-director Ford is as successful behind the camera as he was in bringing sexy silhouettes to the catwalk.

The former creative head at Gucci isn’t the only one to find a second calling in the movies. He joins a long list of "hyphen" directors - musicians, journalists and artists who have switched careers to become filmmakers.

Singers alone could fill up a list. Madonna made her directorial debut last year with "Filth and Wisdom," which was received with about as much as enthusiasm as her earlier attempts at acting, while heavy metal rocker Rob Zombie, who revived the "Halloween" franchise and is reportedly lined up to remake "The Blob," has made a name in horror films.

To be sure, some have been far more successful than others. One of the most notable crossovers of late has been British artist and Turner Prize winner Steve McQueen, who made a splash at Cannes last year with "Hunger." His picture about an IRA hunger striker won the Camera d'Or for best first feature film at the fest.

Former entertainment journalist and film critic Rod Lurie, who broke out with his 2000 film “The Contender” starring Joan Allen as a Vice President nominee under scrutiny, has also developed credibility as a director of political films.

The most successful crossover of all? Perhaps Woody Allen, who started out as a stand-up comic before taking up position behind the camera. But you tell us, who do you think are the best film directors to cross over from other fields? Tell us in the comments below.

VENICE, Italy (CNN) - The bigger the star, the lower the press are prepared to sink in order to get their attention.

An Italian man took off his clothes - down to his boxers - and asked George Clooney for a kiss at a press conference at the Venice Film Festival.

Security seemed reluctant to drag the man, who had an officially accredited badge, away.

"It's hard when you take a big chance and it doesn't work," Clooney grinned in response. "It's always really embarrassing when you take one big swing for the fence and it falls flat ... It was a good try though."

"Have you ever heard the David Niven joke," continued Clooney, "Wasn't it his line at the Oscars one year when he said the biggest laugh he'd ever get is by taking off his clothes and showing us his shortcomings."

Clooney is in Venice to promote Iraq war satire "The Men Who Stare at Goats," which is screening at the Lido.

The film, about a U.S. military unit that experiments with paranormal powers, co-stars Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges.

VENICE, Italy (CNN) - If you are a kid, have kids or are a kid at heart, you could not do much better than watch the parade of talent on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival Sunday afternoon.

The full complement of Pixar movie directors were in town to collect the Lifetime Achievement award which was given to the animation studio.

It was the first time in Venice festival history that an entire studio, rather than just one filmmaker, was honored.

And the man giving the award was none other than George Lucas, who helped create Pixar.

So, to add it all up, on the red carpet Sunday we had:

• John Lasseter, director of the first two "Toy Story" movies as well as "A Bug's Life" and "Cars"
• Peter Docter, director of "Monsters, Inc." and "Up"
• Andrew Stanton, director of "Finding Nemo" and "Wall-E"
• Brad Bird, director of "The Incredibles," "Ratatouille" and prior to joining Pixar, "The Iron Giant"
• Lee Unkrich, director of the upcoming "Toy Story 3"

And then of course George Lucas, director of... oh what did he direct? Oh yeah, "Star Wars." And he created Indiana Jones.

As if that was not enough, they were joined on the red carpet by Woody and Buzz of "Toy Story" and Carl and Russell from "Up."

If from that array of talent there is nothing that has been produced to keep you and your kids entertained for many, many hours, then I think you might be better off heading to a doctor to get your pulse checked.

Do you have a favorite Pixar flick? What do you think it is that makes the studio's movies so special? Tell us in the comments below.