Outrage was sparked when an Italian distributor released a series of posters to promote 2014's Oscar contender 12 Years a Slave that focused mostly on the white characters within the movie, giving very little attention to the movie's central protagonist, Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Following a series of complaints at the posters' inappropriateness, the film's distributor immediately called for all posters to be withdrawn. One such poster positioned Brad Pitt front and centre, however one blogger noted publicly that they did not recall Pitt having such a pivotal role in the movie and that there was clearly discrimination at play. Other posters highlighted Fassbender but none gave focus to Ejiofor, upon whom the story is centred.
The poster distributors, BIM Distribuzione, have since issued an apology for their actions, saying: "We apologise for creating and releasing unauthorized posters for 12 Years a Slave in Italy featuring Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender in a manner inconsistent with approved advertising materials... All inappropriate materials have now been withdrawn. We are very proud of the film and regret any distraction this incident may have caused."
