"This ban distances not only a film but the entire festival from its meaning and purpose," Mubi Fest Istanbul organizers wrote on social media.

Mubi Fest Istanbul was due to open with Luca Guadagnino's 'Queer' but the film was deemed a threat to public peace

The arthouse streamer said it pulled the MUBI Fest in Istanbul in the "name of protecting freedom of expression and artistic expression."

Streaming platform Mubi has cancelled its long planned Mubi Fest Istanbul at the eleventh hour after city governor banned a screening of Luca Guadagnino's LGBTI+ themed movie Queer, which was to have been the opening film.

"This ban not only targets a single film but also undermines the very essence and purpose of the festival," a company statement said after the local government banned the opening night feature.

The opening film was banned in the country for “provocative content that would endanger the peace of society.”