Tribeca Film Festival pulls anti-vax documentary

Tribeca Cinemas — (Image credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

After facing criticism, Tribeca Film Festival pulled an anti-vaccine documentary from its lineup Saturday, The New York Times reports.

Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe is a look at a link between autism and vaccinations, a notion that has been widely disproved by reputable scientists. The documentary was made by Andrew Wakefield, who has had his study retracted and his medical license revoked.

"My intent in screening this film was to provide an opportunity for conversation around an issue that is deeply personal to me and my family," festival founder Robert DeNiro, who has a kid with autism, said in a statement. "But after reviewing it over the past few days with the Tribeca Film Festival team and others from the scientific community, we do not believe it contributes to or furthers the discussion I had hoped for."

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Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.