Arts & Entertainment
Mel Gibson upset over failed screening at IAIA


Mel Gibson's publicist is upset that officials at the Institute of American Indian Arts refused to screen his new movie "Apocalypto."

The school said Gibson made a last minute request to show the film at the tribal college in Santa Fe, New Mexico. But his publicist claims IAIA was told well in advance and had even agreed to host the screening.

Somehow, the screening got canceled. Susan Crow, IAIA�s director for institutional advancement, said the school wanted more time to put together a program. She denied that scenes in the movie that depict Mayan sacrifices or Gibson's recent anti-Semitic comments played a role in the decision.

The movie was shown to Indian audiences in Oklahoma. Nocona Burgess, IAIA student activities coordinator, said his mother saw the film and gave it a positive review. �All of our students are adults, and they could�ve handled the sacrificing scenes because they know that�s how it was in the Mayan civilization,� Burgess told The Santa Fe New Mexican.

Get the Story:
IAIA: Publicity agent says school had time to organize event (The Santa Fe New Mexican 9/29)
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Relevant Links:
Apocalypto - http://apocalypto.movies.go.com

Related Stories:
Mel Gibson's new film depicts Mayan 'sacrifice' (9/26)
Mel Gibson to screen new film for Oklahoma Indians (9/19)