The organizers of this famous film festival cancelled the screening of the movie ‘Cockfighter’ when they found out it would break the law. This 1974 US film about a mute cocktrainer was never granted a UK certificate since the movie breached animal cruelty laws.  But the film (directed by Monte Hellman) did win praise for its central performance by Warren Oates, even though it was highly controversial with nauseatingly graphic scenes of cockfighting.

Charlotte Higgins, manager of the Edinburgh Film Festival, responded to a complaint from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and pulled the film with apologies to any disappointed cinema-goers. Natalie Smart, spokeswoman for the Scottish SPCA, said: "This film is so bad for animal welfare because it’s cockfights are not reconstructed."

The festival still runs through to Sunday, so although you can’t watch cocks going at it... you can certainly catch one of the other fine films like Clerks 2 or London to Brighton!