The film had been picked up by Trinity for its DVD genre label Trinity X in Cannes this year.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has denied Adam Rehmeier’s horror film The Bunny Game a DVD release in the UK.

The film, which centres around a drug-addicted prostitute who is kidnapped by a truck driver and subjected to sadistic games, had been acquired by UK company Trinity for its DVD genre distribution arm Trinity X in Cannes this year.

Pitched as “taking psychological and physical terror to new extremes”, The Bunny Game stars Rodleen Getsic and Jeff Renfro.

“We knew the film was challenging and confrontational, but also felt, as a independent filmmaker, Adam Rehmeir (the director), had a highly original filmic eye and had elicited powerful performances from the cast. We did imagine that the BBFC might ask for cuts but an outright ban gives the film a twisted notoriety that, quite frankly, it doesn’t warrant,” said Mark Sandell, co-director of Trinity.

Trinity said it was “considering its options”.