Bosses at the Telluride Film Festival were forced to pull the planned premiere of Amazing Grace when the singer's lawyers filed a last-minute motion in a U.S. District Court in Colorado late on Thursday (03Sep15) objecting to the screening, which features footage shot by director Sydney Pollack at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles back in 1972, as Franklin recorded her live album Amazing Grace.

Pollack's initial plans to release the film to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the classic album were scrapped as he struggled to sync the sound and video footage, and following his death in 2008, producer Alan Elliott set about restoring the documentary.

But Franklin argued the footage had been taken with the express understanding that it would not be used commercially without her "agreement and consent".

Her lawyers argued, "Allowing the film to be shown violates Ms. Franklin's contractual rights, her intellectual property rights, her rights to use and control her name and likeness, and represents an invasion of her privacy."

Judge John Kane also banned documentary producers from screening the film for two weeks, when another hearing on the matter is due to take place. The ruling means Amazing Grace cannot be shown at the Toronto Film Festival in Canada next week (beg07Aug15).

Now bosses at the Chicago International Film Festival in Illinois have also pulled the film from their line-up.

Event founder Michael Kutza says, "Sydney Pollack was a longtime personal friend and supporter of our festival and I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to screen his previously undiscovered work at our festival this year when it was offered to us in August.

"It is a truly captivating film experience and a testament to the undeniable talents of Aretha Franklin. Out of respect for the legal proceedings and Ms. Franklin we have decided to pull the film from our line-up until such time as the issue is able to be resolved amicably."