Larry Kent has run afoul of censors again as his latest film, The Hamster Cage, has been shut out of the Shanghai International Film Festival following a screening by Chinese officials.

"Obviously, we were very disappointed," says Kent. "The festival had clearly indicated to us that they liked the film and were very excited about us attending."

It is not known why officials objected to the film, though it does deal explicitly with incest.

In an e-mail to coproducer Robert French, a SIFF organizer says the situation "is very complicated" and that "due to the censoring regulations which are very strict and sensitive" the film had to be dropped.

Hamster Cage centers on a family who reunite at a Vancouver estate, where age-old secrets are revealed. It premiered at Montreal's World Film Festival last fall to positive reviews and raised eyebrows.

For Kent, the yanking of the film evokes a strong sense of déjà vu. In 1967, his feature High was set to premiere at the now-defunct Montreal Film Festival, until Quebec censors stepped in and blocked the screening. (The film involves a couple who pay for their drug habit by robbing people on the highway.) Warren Beatty, Jean Renoir and Fritz Lang, all in attendance at that year's festival, came to Kent's defense.

When Allan King and Jean-Pierre Lefebvre shared the fest's grand prix that year (for Warrendale and Il ne faut pas mourir pour ça, respectively), they shared the prize money with Kent.

The Hamster Cage will continue to screen at summer festivals, including Munich and South Korean fests in July, and will have a fall theatrical run through Capri Releasing in the fall.

hamstercagethemovie.com