Houston Film Fest: "Very Threatening Calls" from Government Officials Forcing "Vaxxed" Pulled

I guess if I was a betting woman, I'd say neither the Film Festival nor the mayor want to give this film any help with marketing so there has been some backpedaling, inconsistencies in Todd's story, and now a new reason to have cancelled the scheduled screening.

That's really the only way I can make sense of what's been presented here.

originally posted by: maria_stardust
a reply to: MotherMayEye

It was originally scheduled, then pulled when it was discovered the film was being screen elsewhere.

The communications with the mayor's office are true, but a matter of coincidental timing. The city wasn't aware at the time that the film was in the process of being pulled due to a disqualification.

So, yes, the city wanted the film pulled for the reasons previously stated. And, yes, the festival decided to pull the film because it was determined to being screened elsewhere and would no longer be considered a premiere.

The timing is one of happenstance.

That doesn't make sense to me. If the mayor's office called Todd and he said the film had already been cancelled, there would have been no threats to pull grant money and it would have been a very, very brief conversation.


ETA: I mean, geez, it's pretty clear that only anti-vaxxers are allowed the image of being rabid about their beliefs.

But that's BS. I can't even say I am against mandatory vaccinations without being told I am anti-vax even though I vaccinated all three of my kids aged 25, 9, and 2.

Twenty-five years I have been vaccinating and it still isn't good enough for some pro-vaxxers.

People on opposite ends of the vaccine spectrum are frothing at the mouth. And they all live in absolute fear.

a reply to: MotherMayEye

Even if threats to pull grant money were made, in the end it wouldn't matter as the result would have been the same. The film no longer qualified to be shown at the festival because it is being screened elsewhere and would no longer be a premiere.

The film was being pulled regardless of events unfolding.

originally posted by: maria_stardust
a reply to: MotherMayEye

Even if threats to pull grant money were made, in the end it wouldn't matter as the result would have been the same. The film no longer qualified to be shown at the festival because it is being screened elsewhere and would no longer be a premiere.

The film was being pulled regardless of events unfolding.

Where was it scheduled to premiere AFTER already being scheduled in Houston?


ETA: Honestly, I feel like you are just throwing out guesses in the light least favorable to the distributor.

a reply to: MotherMayEye

No, I'm basing them on what I've been able to surmise based on news accounts.

On that note, I hope you enjoy the film when it's released to the wider public.

originally posted by: maria_stardust
a reply to: MotherMayEye

No, I'm basing them on what I've been able to surmise based on news accounts.

On that note, I hope you enjoy the film when it's released to the wider public.

If I watch it.

I haven't decided yet. I may watch reruns of Better Call Saul instead.

And let's be honest, it hasn't been the distributor who wavered on this tale. You could have just as easily surmised that Hunter Todd backpedaled, but you didn't. You assumed the worst about the filmmaker -- who isn't even involved in this. It was the distributor.

a reply to: MotherMayEye

Thank you for the link -- very interesting and very helpful! I've been trying to put together a timeline of events, and track down just what Hunter has said and when. Apparently it was first reported Tuesday (morning? afternoon?) by Infowars:

Infowars can exclusively reveal that the film was also pulled by the WorldFest-Houston International Film & Video Festival after Hunter Todd, the festival Chairman & Founding Director, received threatening calls from “high government officials”.

The Infowars article also names the mayor:

The “Houston officials” mentioned in the email are believed to have been operating on behalf of the Mayor, Sylvester Turner.

But it doesn't say how they found about it in the first place, or if they made any effort to get a statement from either the sender or the recipient.

I'm guessing my source article was posted late Tuesday night, because the post is dated the 6th, but the first comment is received about 3:00 a.m. (I don't know the time zone). Like the Infowars article, no sources for the info is given.

But then I found this:

On Wednesday, Anne Dachel received a forwarded email from a Mr. Hunter Todd, The Chairman and Founding Director of Team Worldfest – the group responsible for the 49th Annual Houston Worldfest Film and Video Festival. From Mr. Todd: Hola! from WorldFest... Howdy Dawn~ We are happy to hear from you... we are also very sorry that we were forced to cancel this special premiere due to threats and pressure... It was out of our hands, as we would lose more than $50,000 in support if we showed the film! No worries, this will only make it more popular... and it will show in a regular theater in Houston very soon! On the Internet also... God's Blessings on you and yours... My Thanks and Best regards, Hunter Hunter Todd Chairman & Founding Director TEAM WORLDFEST The 49th Annual WorldFest-Houston!

And this:

We called Hunter Todd later Wednesday afternoon and spoke at length:

"The powers that be told me we would lose all our grants," Todd said. “City and County officials called.” We asked if he knew who called the local government leaders, and he indicated that state health authorities seemed to be making calls along with federal government officials. “My sponsors were called. I called them to give them a heads up but they had already been spoken to.”

“No one’s called me like this in the forty-nine years that I’ve been doing this.” And the calls were not pleasant. "It was amazing the force they used."

Todd then noted that he has an employee with a 15 year old grandson who regressed after vaccination. "I felt it was important to show this film. The movie was really well done."

"This is the power of big pharma,” Todd said. “They have the power to suppress and censor…People don't like censorship in Texas and this is censorship....I tried to defend the film and they attacked the doctor (Wakefield)...Maybe he lost his license because pharma attacked him."

Mr. Todd stated that he was concerned that his funding will be cut if he is identified - he has employees who could lose their jobs if funding is cut. However, by Wednesday evening, Mr. Todd’s name - and the second incident of censorship of VaXxed - was all over the internet and social media.

Todd’s letter to Phillipe Diaz, Chairman of Cinema Libre, the film’s distributor was reported by Celia Farber on the Truth Barrier.

At Age of Autism (which does believe there is a link between vaccines and autism).

So it would seem that Todd Hunter was full of accusations and big talk when he thought he would remain anonymous; but his story changed after he was outed by Infowars.

originally posted by: Boadicea
So it would seem that Todd Hunter was full of accusations and big talk when he thought he would remain anonymous; but his story changed after he was outed by Infowars.

I feel like he's backpedaling. And the fact that he is a 'professional' doesn't explain it away. His film festival is also the recipient of major grant money. He has plenty of reason to backpedal.

Age of Autism: Did the CDC Censor VaXxed? Report 2

A little off-topic, but very disturbing, these folks are suggesting (blaming) a coordinated effort against the film at least partly funded with tax dollars:

On Tuesday, we asked if the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention – an agency of the United States Government – directed the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), a not-for-profit organization to activate a panel of scientists, known as the Listserv, to pressure Robert De Niro and the Tribeca Film Festival to remove VaXxed: From Cover-up to Catastrophe from the film festival’s 2016 line up.

At the center of the network was a listserv group of more than 100 prominent individuals and science research bodies run out of the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) based in St Paul, Minnesota. According to the Guardian article, the “listserv acts as an early warning system that sounds the alarm whenever the potent conspiracy theory that autism can be caused by vaccination surfaces.”

The Guardian states “Through the listserv, conference calls were quickly organized among top scientists across the country to discuss how to respond to the news that what was seen as a scurrilous and misleading film was to be given a high-profile airing. Leading figures in the documentary world were also enlisted to add their objections to the showing of Vaxxed, the film directed by the disgraced former British doctor Andrew Wakefield.”

Link to the Guardian article quoted above:

How the scientific community united against Tribeca's anti-vaccination film

As soon as the screening of the anti-vaccine documentary Vaxxed was announced at Robert De Niro’s festival, experts joined forces to oppose it

a reply to: MotherMayEye

I feel like he's backpedaling. And the fact that he is a 'professional' doesn't explain it away. His film festival is also the recipient of major grant money. He has plenty of reason to backpedal.

Absolutely. Now more than ever. My best guess is that he was threatened, then blackmailed and/or bribed once his statements -- and identity -- went public.

a reply to: MotherMayEye

Actually, I can surmise anyway I choose. This is what I happen to believe occurred. The truth is only those involved with know what really happened.

originally posted by: maria_stardust
a reply to: MotherMayEye

Actually, I can surmise anyway I choose.

Ha! Yeah, I know and said so. You chose to surmise in the worst light possible for the filmmaker and they weren't even a party to this curious tale. It was the distributor.

originally posted by: maria_stardust
a reply to: MotherMayEye

Actually, I can surmise anyway I choose. This is what I happen to believe occurred. The truth is only those involved with know what really happened.

Of course you can, and I appreciate trying to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, but he was singing a whole different tune when he thought he was going to remain anonymous. It wasn't until he was outed (by Infowars, I'm pretty sure), that he started talking it all back. He clearly and unequivocally blamed threats by government officials to at least three different people (per Age of Autism here).

On Wednesday, Anne Dachel received a forwarded email from a Mr. Hunter Todd, The Chairman and Founding Director of Team Worldfest – the group responsible for the 49th Annual Houston Worldfest Film and Video Festival. From Mr. Todd:

Hola! from WorldFest...

Howdy Dawn~

We are happy to hear from you... we are also very sorry that we were forced to cancel this special premiere due to threats and pressure...

It was out of our hands, as we would lose more than $50,000 in support if we showed the film!

No worries, this will only make it more popular... and it will show in a regular theater in Houston very soon! On the Internet also...

God's Blessings on you and yours...

My Thanks and Best regards,

Hunter Todd Chairman & Founding Director TEAM WORLDFEST The 49th Annual WorldFest-Houston!

And:

We called Hunter Todd later Wednesday afternoon and spoke at length:

"The powers that be told me we would lose all our grants," Todd said. “City and County officials called.” We asked if he knew who called the local government leaders, and he indicated that state health authorities seemed to be making calls along with federal government officials. “My sponsors were called. I called them to give them a heads up but they had already been spoken to.”

“No one’s called me like this in the forty-nine years that I’ve been doing this.” And the calls were not pleasant. "It was amazing the force they used."

Todd then noted that he has an employee with a 15 year old grandson who regressed after vaccination. "I felt it was important to show this film. The movie was really well done."

Mr. Todd stated that he was concerned that his funding will be cut if he is identified - he has employees who could lose their jobs if funding is cut.

However, by Wednesday evening, Mr. Todd’s name - and the second incident of censorship of VaXxed - was all over the internet and social media. Todd’s letter to Phillipe Diaz, Chairman of Cinema Libre, the film’s distributor was reported by Celia Farber on the Truth Barrier.

As yet, to the best of my knowledge, Hunter has not denied any of these claims.

originally posted by: visitedbythem
Yeah I caught measles and and chicken pox as a kid too. Im still here.

I caught all of those things despite being vaxxed, in fact I contracted every single thing save for polio and rubella in the year following.

Makes me wonder if my body took to things in a much different way!

originally posted by: Pardon?
Here's a thought.

Supposing what they say in this "documentary" is true (and it isn't) and that African-American boys have a statistically increased chance of getting autism from the MMR and vaccines in general this must mean that there's no stats to show that non African-American boys get it.

You do realise what this means don't you?

Oh, for those who think it's the Mercury, the MMR vaccine has NEVER contained thimerasol (not that thimerasol is Mercury anyway, it's a Mercury salt. Like table salt isn't sodium).
Ever.
In fact ALL of the routine childhood vaccines have not contained any discernible amounts of any Mercury compound for quite a few years now.

What in Odin's Beard?! Why would data showing a statistically increased chance for African American boys mean there's no statistics regarding non-African American boys??? That's like saying if driving drunk increases the rate of fatal car crashes, there must not be any statistics of non-drunk car crashes. Sorry, but you're absolutely frying my logic circuits.

As for the Thimerosol, you're right, and I believe the ethylmercury is not a factor, as autism rates continued to rise as it was reduced and then eliminated from all but the ridiculous influenza vaccines.

I think the odds of there being a single factor to the insanely rapid rise of the autism epidemic are extremely thin. So long as we continue searching for a single solitary boogeyman, we will accomplish nothing.

My framework 3-point theory:
1) genetic predisposition +

2) relatively new environmental factor setting the stage in the body - organophosphates being a likely culprit, given drastically increased autism rates in areas heavy with organophosphate pesticide use +

3) systemic shock trigger - vaccines and the immune response they elicit being one possibility, but it could be a severe illness, high fever, localized head injury. Any of these things are capable of causing brain inflammation.

Mix and match on those. 99%/0%/1% in one case, 60%/10%/30% in another. I don't know all the science and I certainly don't have any proofs, but the one fact I know for certain is that there is no way it is any one of those things alone.

Sorry for veering off the topic a bit. I mistakenly got a business degree instead of becoming a research scientist, so sometimes I have to spill it out.

originally posted by: MotherMayEye
a reply to: Pardon?

Wait, so was the letter real or fake? And if it was fake, why does the content of the letter seem to match with the mayor's opinion?

It really just gets smellier and smellier, IMO.

Bearing in mind that the anti-vax movement, like most anti-intellectual movements flying the face of considered evidence, needs to create a sense of victimhood, of being besieged by dark forces, Occam's razor suggests "fake".

While I'm here, what kind of numpty needs to reduce this to "left" and "right"? In the real world, single issues cut across complex political categories, let alone the simplistic left-right spectrum.

originally posted by: dogstar23

originally posted by: Pardon?
Here's a thought.

Supposing what they say in this "documentary" is true (and it isn't) and that African-American boys have a statistically increased chance of getting autism from the MMR and vaccines in general this must mean that there's no stats to show that non African-American boys get it.

You do realise what this means don't you?

Oh, for those who think it's the Mercury, the MMR vaccine has NEVER contained thimerasol (not that thimerasol is Mercury anyway, it's a Mercury salt. Like table salt isn't sodium).
Ever.
In fact ALL of the routine childhood vaccines have not contained any discernible amounts of any Mercury compound for quite a few years now.

What in Odin's Beard?! Why would data showing a statistically increased chance for African American boys mean there's no statistics regarding non-African American boys??? That's like saying if driving drunk increases the rate of fatal car crashes, there must not be any statistics of non-drunk car crashes. Sorry, but you're absolutely frying my logic circuits.

As for the Thimerosol, you're right, and I believe the ethylmercury is not a factor, as autism rates continued to rise as it was reduced and then eliminated from all but the ridiculous influenza vaccines.

I think the odds of there being a single factor to the insanely rapid rise of the autism epidemic are extremely thin. So long as we continue searching for a single solitary boogeyman, we will accomplish nothing.

My framework 3-point theory:
1) genetic predisposition +

2) relatively new environmental factor setting the stage in the body - organophosphates being a likely culprit, given drastically increased autism rates in areas heavy with organophosphate pesticide use +

3) systemic shock trigger - vaccines and the immune response they elicit being one possibility, but it could be a severe illness, high fever, localized head injury. Any of these things are capable of causing brain inflammation.

Mix and match on those. 99%/0%/1% in one case, 60%/10%/30% in another. I don't know all the science and I certainly don't have any proofs, but the one fact I know for certain is that there is no way it is any one of those things alone.

Sorry for veering off the topic a bit. I mistakenly got a business degree instead of becoming a research scientist, so sometimes I have to spill it out.

Your logic was already fried by the look of it.
And your analogy is baseless.

The study was looking for an increase or correlation for autism in vaccinated kids.
The original study found no correlation.
The reanalysis found an increase only in the group mentioned.
Therefore there can be nothing statistically different about the other groups.
Therefore there could not have been an increase due to vaccination in the other groups otherwise it would have been seen.

And as for your hypothesis

Number 3 should not include vaccinations since vaccinations have been found to have no causal association with autism.
In fact you could substitute number 3 with: Increased awareness, better diagnostic techinques and a broadening of the autistic spectrum.
In fact my best guess is that the new number 3 contributes for pretty much all of the rise.

originally posted by: visitedbythem
I was vaxxed in the 50s and 60s, and I notice there are way more vaccination now then there were back then. Way more. My kids are now antivaxx and vegans as well. My grand children have not been vaxxed and I wont speak against that

That's sad. Not just for you and your kids / grandkids but for all of society.. Uneducated people like yourself ignorantly follow propoganda and BS causing everyone to have an increased chance of catching and easily preventable deadly diseases.

Anti-vaxxers disgust me. Ignorant naive and dangerous.

a reply to: Whodathunkdatcheese

Bearing in mind that the anti-vax movement, like most anti-intellectual movements flying the face of considered evidence,

Where the Hades did you get that idea ? There is a lot of factual evidence both for and against autism being connected to vaccinations.Anti-intellectual ? Why is it always name calling ?

a reply to: Boadicea
My friend, I keep on checking FB to see if either Hunter Todd or Sylvester Turner have issued a statement, but so far nothing.

Whatever reason Hunter had to remove Vaxxed from the listing we may never know but we have to remember that this is not a government censorship as the movies has been showing in NY since 1st April (still running now, at the Angelika Film Centre).

originally posted by: Gothmog
Where the Hades did you get that idea ? There is a lot of factual evidence both for and against autism being connected to vaccinations.Anti-intellectual ? Why is it always name calling ?

There is absolutely no evidence that links vaccines with autism.

And this is not about name calling: the anti-intellectualism/ anti-science movement we see lately is dangerous as it seems to be taking a chunk of society back to the dark ages. But this is for another thread, don't want to go off topic.