Two major newspapers in Seattle are refusing to run adverts for the Spanish language film, Sex And Lucia, despite the fact that it won awards at the city's film festival in June.

A spokeswoman for the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which share advertising and management, said the film was too explicit to be advertised in either one of their newspapers.

"We are not accepting ads for the film," she said.

"It does not fit in with our policy on what we consider to be adult entertainment but we are not passing judgement on the film itself."

Sex and Lucia, which contains several explicit sex scenes, opens in Seattle on Friday.

Spanish sitcom actress Paz Vega plays the lead

Palm Pictures, which is distributing the film in the US, is said to be furious at the decision, especially since the Seattle Times was one of the sponsors of the recent film festival.

"It is a shame that these two newspapers are trying to block ads that will bring this wonderful film to the attention of the diverse readership in Seattle," said Palm Pictures founder Chris Blackwell.

The film won best director and best screenplay at the festival.

It focuses on a waitress, played by Spanish sitcom star Paz Vega, who retreats to a Mediterranean island following the death of her boyfriend.

Objection

The waitress then recalls their passionate relationship and makes a surprising discovery about an incident from his past.

It was directed by Julio Medem, whose work also includes Lovers Of The Arctic Circle and The Red Squirrel, and was released in the UK in May.

This is not the first time newspapers have objected to advertising particular films.

In the past they have vetoed adverts for films which are sexually explicit or carry the restrictive NC-17 rating, meaning nobody under 17 can see the film.