The critically acclaimed Clint Eastwood thriller Mystic River has been pulled from the Edinburgh International Film Festival (Aug 13-24) programme.

One of the Festival's star attractions, the film was set for two sell-out screenings next week but has been withdrawn by distributor Warner Brothers who have claimed 'unforeseen scheduling conflicts' as the reason.

Screened to glowing reviews at Cannes in May, Eastwood's adaptation of the Denis Lehane bestseller deals with the way violence poisons the lives of three childhood friends played in adulthood by Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon.

Eastwood had not been expected to attend the Festival although he is scheduled to visit the UK for a number of promotional events nearer to the film's theatrical release in October.

A spokesperson for the Festival expressed their intense disappointment at the decision and confirmed that the Festival would not be scheduling a replacement title.

Good news for the Festival came with the confirmation that Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone will attend the final weekend of the event with his Fidel Castro documentary Comandante.