De Niro pulls Andrew Wakefied film from Tribeca Film Fest

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Statement on Festivals Facebook Page

A bit of common sense from De Niro

In his defense he was just trying to be impartial earlier...

I agree. At least he had the courage to admit that the committee had made a mistake and he put that right.

Sadly, I don't think enough people know the full extent of the fraud that wakefield tried to perpetrate and that the base of all of it was financial greed.

So many people will ignore the truth of the matter, brilliantly and clinically exposed by the award winning journalist Brian Deer. He laid it all out in The Times newspaper for all to see, but I guess there are none so blind......

Both "Neurotribes" and "In a Different Key" autism history books as well as others claim that the anti vax movement peaked in the early 2000's and has declined a lot since. I could not disagee more. These journalists are reading to much mainstream media which is where they come from. Public opinion in 2016 is formed online a lot. There is a rare online discussion about autism no matter what the original topic was that does not turn into a vaccine causation debate. It seems everytime a study comes out saying there is no connection the anti vax movement grows substantially. We are in in an an era when anything any authority or expert does is assumed to be a malicious conspiracy.

Apart from the vaccine controversy, I see the Tribeca Film Festival (a twin of the much older Sundance Film Festival) as having capitulated to the demands of others to restrict free speech. For a film festival to accept a film only to turn around and reject it is cowardly and sniveling, in my opinion. Typical, I suspect, considering its hometown influences. To quote the character John Hancock of the Broadway musical, 1776, "What in Hell goes on in New York?"

Considering the nature of the film being rejected/withdrawn, I'm very happy with the "capitulation".

"And, we have a vote FOR restricting free speech, ladies and gentlemen!" [crickets chirp]

Really?!?

Evelyn Beatrice Hall stated famously in 1906 that "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." It is too bad that anybody wouldn't disagree with that sentiment. Is America still America?

[AspieUtah gets hauled off by the thought police]

The movie still exists. You can download it and view it on line. It has not been banned, only rejected from being shown at a film festival. It would be the same as a father prohibiting porn on Family Movie Night - the porn is still available; it's just not being shown in one venue.

Besides, just because a movie is available does not make it's showing mandatory, and just because someone has something to say does not make it mandatory for others to listen.

And since De Niro is one of the founders of the Tribeca Film Festival, he is well within his rights to pull any film that he submits, thus making the whole matter a non-issue being blown out of proportion by a few hysterical people in the media.

I didn't describe the film as being banned, but restricted. Your sentiments would be valid if the Tribeca Film Festival hadn't already accepted the film for screening (contractual obligations and such). Since it did so, any subsequent restriction by the festival is fraught (love that word) with hostile meaning and potential lawsuits. Sure, the festival may legally do (mostly) what it chooses to do, but at this late stage in the game, the communications and entertainment world knows what it has been done. The taint won't come clean on this one.

Any "taint" is solely related to the subject of the film itself - the lies and deceptions perpetrated by Dr. Wakefield to advance his own agenda and increase his own wealth and credibility. That his plan unraveled so quickly (but not before causing irreparable harm to un-vaccinated children) obviates the transparency of the fraud he inflicted on the world through this execrable piece of propaganda.

Again, Mr. DeNiro is a founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, and since he introduced the film, he is well within his rights and ethics to withdraw it.

Why don't YOU set up your own film festival just to show this travesty of video journalism? While you're at it, you could also show Griffith's "Birth Of A Nation" (1915), and "The Jazz Singer" (1927) - both fine examples of cinamatic propaganda.

Fake outrage. Pulling the film is the best thing that could ever happen for the vaccines cause Autism cause. The film is getting free publicity in the major on and offline media outlets.

The film has a one week release at the prestigous Angelika Theater in NYC and may play elsewhere.

I Watched The Anti-Vaxx Doc Booted From TriBeCa Film Festival And It Was Insane - Daily Beast

It is a sad commentary on America's scientific ignorance that these parents who believe vaccinations caused their kids' autism are looking at the respected scientific literature as a conspiracy. Because they don't seem to understand how to evaluate evidence.

I have two autistic (adult) children, and if I had to do it again, I'd vaccinate them fully, including for things we didn't have vaccinations for 30 years ago (e.g., meningitis, chicken pox). Because why? Well at least they're ALIVE!

Film pulled from Houston Film Festival following pressure from mayor

Here's an interverview that Robert DeNiro and TFF co-founder Jane Rosenthal did for the Today show yesterday about the "Vaxx" controversey: