The event will be replaced by a government-backed Youth Festival of Life Affirming Film.

Moscow Premiere Festival

The Russian government has cancelled the city’s Moscow Premiere film festival, citing the “difficult economic situation”.

The festival, which has been supported by the Moscow city council for 12 years, has had its funding pulled and will be replaced by a new event titled Youth Festival of Life Affirming Film, which is backed by Russia’s Putin-aligned ruling party United Russia.

Moscow Premiere was highly-regarded for showcasing controversial films outside of the mainstream, including films that highlighted gay themes.

Film critic and Moscow Premiere head Vyacheslav Shmyrov said: “We cannot affiliate to the new festival - not least in terms of our self-esteem.

“‘Moscow Premiere’ is primarily a social festival and a charity project that exists for those people, especially the older generation, who can not afford to go to the movies. It is mainly a social mission,” he said to Russian newspaper Noviye Izvestia.

In a letter to the festival’s organisers, the Moscow government culture committee stated: “Due to the difficult economic conditions, the culture department of Moscow has to limit the use of budgetary resources in 2015 and cancel funding of several events, including Moscow Premiere”.

The new iteration of the festival will be headed by city council member Yevgeny Gerasimov and is scheduled to run September 4-7.

Last week, a Russian distributor pushed ahead with the release of British LGBT film Pride, despite facing difficulties due to the country’s anti-gay propaganda laws.