Anti-vaccine film pulled from NZ cinemas

Northland doctor and New Zealander of the Year Lance O'Sullivan said it was a good thing the movie had been pulled. Photo / Dean Purcell

A controversial anti-vaccination movie has been pulled from some New Zealand cinemas after customer complaints.

Four cinemas owned by or affiliated with Bridgeway Cinemas in Auckland, Tauranga and Upper Hutt have cancelled more than 10 screenings of the film Vaxxed, Newsroom reported.

Northland doctor and former New Zealander of the Year Dr Lance O'Sullivan recently protested the film, telling the Kaitaia audience their mere presence "will cause babies to die". He said the pulling of the 2016 film was "a good thing".

Bridgeway general manager Steve Christodoulou told Newsroom the decision was made after they received customer feedback.

"We put it up saying this is going to be screening and we had a lot of negative feedback from customers."

Vaxxed investigates claims that the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention manipulated and destroyed data on an important study linking autism to the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine.

The film's claims have been widely discredited, and labelled anti-vaccination propaganda.

Spokeswoman for Vaxxed in New Zealand, Truly Godfrey, told Newsroom they would continue to show the movie. She said a screening was taking place in Nelson tomorrow night.

She said Christodoulou contacted the group and offered to screen the movies. Then he told her there had been around 40 complaints, and private security would be needed at each location in case of protesters.

Christodoulou said he had contacted police as a courtesy to let them know about the screenings.

The screenings were to occur at Bridgeway Northcote Point, the Monterey in Howick, Rialto Tauranga and a cinema in Upper Hutt.