I was thrilled to read the following, in light of the tons of criticism and grief Mr. Gibson received before, during, and after the release of The Passion of the Christ:

Mel Gibson to be Awarded Producer of the Year at Hollywood Film Festival

HOLLYWOOD, October 6, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Hollywood Film Festival’s Board of Advisors, co-chaired by Paula Wagner, has announced that this year’s festival will honor Oscar-winning producer/director Mel Gibson with its “Hollywood Producer of the Year Award.” The award will be bestowed upon Mr. Gibson as part of the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony on Monday evening, October 18, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Gibson has earned numerous honors for his work as a producer, director and actor, including winning Best Picture and Best Director Academy Awards and a Best Director Golden Globe Award for “Braveheart” (1995), among many other awards and nominations.

Most recently, Mr. Gibson independently produced and directed “The Passion of the Christ,” with exquisite cinematography by Caleb Deschanel and distribution by Newmarket Films, which quickly became a worldwide phenomenon and giant box office success, grossing more than $370 million in the U.S. and an estimated total of $604 million worldwide.