The Tribeca Film Institute, founded by actor Robert De Niro, is generally supportive of science. It partners with the Sloan Foundation to provide grants for filmmakers who are looking to create "a fresh take on scientific, mathematic, and technological themes." Each year, some of the results are shown as part of the Tribeca Film Festival.

But this year, it appeared that the film festival had decided to balance its support of science with some false claims by putting the film Vaxxed: From Coverup to Catastrophe on the schedule. The film is the latest attempt by former doctor Andrew Wakefield to support his bogus claim that vaccines can trigger autism. Wakefield's original publication in this area has been retracted, and he has since lost his medical license due to unethical behavior regarding his patients and rampant conflicts of interest. An investigative reporter found that at the time that the research was conducted, Wakefield was receiving payments from lawyers planning on suing vaccine makers, and he was also working on his own alternative vaccine.

Meanwhile, the movie's basic premise has been thoroughly debunked. Although the film purports to provide information from a whistleblower that suggests the US Centers for Disease Control fraudulently manipulated data on vaccine safety, the issue has been studied in a number of countries, and the conclusions are all consistent: there is no connection between vaccination and autism.

The decision to screen the film, with its potential to mislead audiences on a vital public health issue, prompted an outcry from scientists and medical authorities. In response, De Niro initially issued a statement saying that as the parent of a child with autism, he and his wife "believe it is critical that all of the issues surrounding the causes of autism be openly discussed and examined."

The response to that statement was critical, but to his credit, De Niro apparently listened. Over the weekend, he issued a second statement, saying, "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.” Accordingly, the film was removed from the festival schedule.

Consistent with their penchant for conspiracy theories, the filmmakers have issued their own statement, saying, "We have just witnessed yet another example of the power of corporate interests censoring free speech, art, and truth."