Casey Affleck had the "best professional experience" of his life directing his sons.

The 51-year-old star's kids Indiana, 22, and 18-year-old Atticus - who he has with ex-wife Summer Phoenix - star in his new film Company and while it was his first time directing the pair, he hopes it won't be the last.

Speaking at a press conference for Company at the Venice International FIlm Festival, he said: ""I think they grew up around [the entertainment industry] and had some interest in it and a sort of innate understanding of what it was.

"Like I did, my dad worked in the theatre for many years. And so it's passed down, I suppose, which is a really nice thing. And they were willing to be a part of this...

They were amazing, and it made it the best professional experience of my life by far because I got to work every day with my kids and hang around. I would do it over and over again if I could."

Casey explained how the casting process for Company was "pretty conventional" but it had been a struggle to fill the roles of two teenagers in the film so had his sons read the script and was delighted when they were able to officially join the project.

He said: "I was sitting around the house doing read-throughs of this script over and over, and I would have my two kids read the younger and older teens, and they were fantastic.

"I got to the point where I was there in pre-production and I had a cast and film and they were willing to show up and do it.

"And I guess the younger one [son Atticus] had a spring break from high school of a week or so, and that was kind of all we needed them for.

"And Indiana, the older one, he showed up and he played this part and stayed every single day and worked in the other departments and shovelled snow and carried light stands around and never complained, or rarely complained."

Company is set in winter 1975 and sees a mysterious woman arrive uninvited to a holiday party, where she tells the story of aging hermit Tom, who had rescued a stranded actress during a blizarrd over 20 years earlier. To pass the night, the actress tells Tom a story of a farming couple who take in a troubled drifter amid a backdrop of grisly murders. It also stars Nick Nolte, Adelaide Clemens, Ben Mendelsohn, Scoot McNairy, Emily Alyn Lind, and Caylee Cowan.