Wardens at a jail in Mexico have transferred 300 inmates to other prisons to make way for an upcoming Mel Gibson movie shoot, despite protests from the criminals' relatives.

The star is planning to film his next project at the Ignacio Allende prison in the eastern coastal city of Veracruz.

The state governor, Fidel Herrera Beltran, agreed to accommodate Gibson and relocate prisoners to make room for the actor/director's film crew - a decision which caused controversy with the loved ones of the incarcerated.

Hundreds of family members staged a 24-hour demonstration outside the prison last month in a bid to stop the transfers until a new unit could be built to house the prisoners, but their efforts failed and 300 inmates were relocated last week.

The prison director confirmed the inmates had been sent to at least four different jails, leaving part of the facility empty for Gibson to use for his shoot. It is currently unknown which project Gibson is planning to film in Veracruz.

Gibson previously filmed his 2006 epic Apocalypto in the city and subsequently handed local authorities a $1 million donation to help build new homes for victims of 2005's Hurricane Stan.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)