Lee, who won the Golden Lion at Venice for Brokeback Mountain in 2005, said his Chinese thriller Lust, Caution had been invited by organisers.

"I think they're very happy that I'm returning after Brokeback Mountain," Lee told Chinese news site Sina.com.

Venice organisers have yet to confirm Lee's participation. The line-up for the festival will be announced on July 26.

The event, which first took place in 1932, will be held in the Italian city from August 29 to September 8.

Lust, Caution is based on a short story about a group of students who plot to assassinate the head of China's World War II Japanese-backed government. The film stars Tony Leung Chiu-wai, who was named best actor at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Lee went on to admit in the interview that he had expected a lot from his cast. "I don't think the actors were scared of me because I'm mean," he said.

"I very solemnly set standards for them to follow. They probably felt a lot of pressure. I insisted on meeting those standards."

The film is due to be simultaneously released in the US and China in late September.