12 Years A Slave Poster In Italy Apologizes For Putting Brad Pitt’s Face In Focus; Film Sparks Race Debate In Entertainment Industry

Most movie fans would love to see Brad Pitt's face in a poster, but maybe not if he isn't starring on the film. For human rights advocates, it shouldn't be done if he's only playing a small role and the movie's main protagonist is a black person.

BIM Distribuzione, the Italian distributor of the movie, is in hot water right now for releasing posters of the film with Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender in the focus despite the fact that it is bannered by Chiwetel Ejiofor, an actor from Britain that is of Nigerian descent. The film is based on a memoir and slave narrative of an African American named Solomon Northup who was born free in New York State but kidnapped in Washington, D.C., and sold into slavery. Pitt is playing a small (though pivotal) role in the film while Fassbender plays the role of the antagonist. Posters featuring Pitt and Fassbender have irked human rights equality advocates saying there is injustice in the entertainment industry. BIM has caused citizens and internet users to assume that the Italian distributor is not promoting what the movie is trying to say, a crusade against discrimination on color and race.

The posters were printed and released by BIM who has already apologized for the mistake.

"All inappropriate materials have now been withdrawn," BIM Distribuzione said in a statement. 'We are very proud of the film and regret any distraction this incident may have caused."

Before the apology, Summit Entertainment, the studio handling the international release of "12 Years a Slave," cleared that the Italian posters were not approved by the producers and licensors and that they are now "investigating and taking immediate action to stop the distribution of any unauthorized posters and to have those posters currently in the marketplace recalled."

12 Years a Slave has received universal acclaim from critics and audiences in different film festival. It was released in the US on October 18 and will b shown in UK theaters on January 10, 2014.