The screening of a Dutch film at a Russian gay film festival in St Petersburg on Thursday night was disrupted by a hoax bomb call, Nos television reports.

The film, Matterhorn, is about a friendship between two men who live in a small Christian community. The film was due to open the festival.

The cinema was cleared shortly before the film was due to start after a telephone warning. Police checked the building and the film was eventually shown two hours later than planned.

After the film, visitors were escorted to the nearby metro by police, Nos said.