‘Call Me By Your Name’ Pulled From Beijing International Film Festival, Film Considered ‘In Deviation’ of Chinese Policy

Luca Guadagnino‘s Oscar-winning romance “Call Me By Your Name” has been pulled from the Beijing International Film Festival. The drama was set to screen at the event next month. Distributor Sony Pictures Classics confirmed the film’s removal from Beijing to Reuters, which points out that the decision arrives in the midst of a conservative Chinese government known to pad down LGBTQ-themed content.

“This movie is in deviation from the policy environment in China,” Beijing-based film analyst Wu Jian told Reuters about why the festival probably pulled the title. Homosexuality is not illegal in China, but the deflecting of gay content within the country is become a recurring issue. Reuters notes that an LGBTQ conference in the city of Chengdu was canceled last July, while a lesbian Chinese dating app called Rela was shut down last May.

“Call Me By Your Name” centers on the blossoming romance between two men, played by Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer. The film was announced as an entry at the Beijing International Film Festival on March 16. Other titles set for Beijing include “Lean on Pete” and the Palme d’Or winner “The Square.”

The 2018 Beijing International Film Festival runs April 16-23.