--- description: A Beijing film festival has dropped 'Call Me By Your Name' from its official program, prompting concerns about possible LGBT censorship title: Beijing Film Fest Cancels 'Call Me By Your Name' Screening image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdbb4136035e4b9e8/69892bf4929fad634abf0160/gettyimages-910036342.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [China](/tag/china/) ## China Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # A Film Festival in China Has Dropped _Call Me By Your Name_ From Its Lineup by [Laignee Barron](/author/laignee-barron/) ## Laignee Barron Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 26, 2018 9:39 AM CUT  Italian director Luca Guadagnino is seen with actors Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet at a photocall in Rome on Jan. 24, 2018. Italian director Luca Guadagnino is seen with actors Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet at a photocall in Rome on Jan. 24, 2018.Matteo Nardone—Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images by [Laignee Barron](/author/laignee-barron/) ## Laignee Barron Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 26, 2018 9:39 AM CUT A Beijing film festival has [dropped acclaimed](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-filmfestival-beijing-callmebyyourname/beijing-festival-pulls-award-winning-gay-film-amid-content-squeeze-idUSKBN1H20PK?il=0 "undefined") gay romance _Call Me By Your Name_ from its official program, distributors told Reuters Monday. No official reason was given for the sudden change of plans at the Beijing International Film Festival. Homosexuality is not illegal in China, but lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender topics, conferences and art have often, controversially, come under scrutiny or been blacklisted. Wu Jian, a Beijing-based film analyst, told Reuters that it was “quite embarrassing for China” that the Oscar-winning film was pulled from the April festival’s lineup. “This movie is in deviation from the policy environment in China,” he said. **Read more:** [Call Me By Your Name _and_ The Shape of Water _Fearlessly Display Love_](http://time.com/5042707/call-me-by-your-name-shape-of-water-fearlessly-display-love/ "undefined") The decision to drop the film comes amid the Chinese Communist Party’s tightening grip across all aspects of society, including stricter regulations of media and entertainment. A rubber-stamp parliament voted earlier this month to bring film, news and publishing under the control of the party’s publicity department. Festival organizers reportedly declined to comment on the change in the film screening lineup. Beijing is reportedly not the first to pull the feature film. Last month, Tunisia banned _Call Me By Your Name_ [due to its “subject” matter](https://m.channel24.co.za/Movies/News/tunisia-bans-oscar-nominated-call-me-by-your-name-20180301 "undefined"), according to AFP. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5215236/beijing-film-festival-call-me-by-your-name/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5215236/beijing-film-festival-call-me-by-your-name/"},"headline":"A Film Festival in China Has Dropped Call Me By Your Name From Its Lineup","datePublished":"2018-03-26T09:39:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T19:46:20.130Z","description":"The decision comes as the Chinese Communist Party tightens its grip on society","url":"https://time.com/5215236/beijing-film-festival-call-me-by-your-name/","keywords":["China","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdbb4136035e4b9e8/69892bf4929fad634abf0160/gettyimages-910036342.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laignee Barron","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/laignee-barron/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdbb4136035e4b9e8/69892bf4929fad634abf0160/gettyimages-910036342.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Italian director Luca Guadagnino with american actors Armie","caption":"Italian director Luca Guadagnino with american actors Armie","creditText":"Matteo Nardone—Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/china/","name":"China"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5215236/beijing-film-festival-call-me-by-your-name/","name":"A Film Festival in China Has Dropped Call Me By Your Name From Its Lineup"}}]}] ```