Motion picture content rating system
A motion picture content rating system classifies films based on their suitability for audiences due to their treatment of issues such as sex, violence, or substance abuse, their use of profanity, or other matters typically deemed unsuitable for children or adolescents.
Key: Through its Advisory Commission of Cinematographic Exhibition (Comisión Asesora de Exhibición Cinematográfica) the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA) issues ratings for films based on the following categories:[1] The Classification Board and Classification Review Board are government-funded organisations which classify all films that are released for public exhibition.
[5] Motion pictures are rated by the Austrian Board of Media Classification (ABMC) for the Federal Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur).
The recommendations made by the ABMC are generally not legally binding and there are nine sets of state laws on the cinema sector with different age provisions.
[6] The only exception is in the case of "16" rated films, since under Austrian law there is a legal age restriction on certain types of content i.e. discrimination, sexual abuse, glorification of violence etc.
[15][16] The age categories are as follows:[17] All films that are exhibited in public or released on a home video format in Brazil must be submitted for classification to the advisory rating (Classificação Indicativa, abbreviated ClassInd), which is run by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice (Ministério da Justiça).
[32] In general, the categories are:[26] In Quebec, the provincial Ministry of Culture and Communications (and until 2017 the Régie du cinéma) rates all films and videos;[34] its purview devolves from the Cinema Act (chapter C-18.1).
[36] Films are classified by the Council of Cinematographic Classification (Consejo de Calificación Cinematográfica) which is a central agency under the Ministry of Education.
The Minister will decide which certificate to issue based on a recommendation by the classification of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC).
All the ratings contain the phrase "gemäß §14 JuSchG" (in accordance with §14 of the Youth Protection Law), signifying that they are legally binding for minors.
[63] Since 1 July 2006, FRÍSK (short for Félag rétthafa í sjónvarps- og kvikmyndaiðnaði) has replaced the Kvikmyndaskoðun system in Iceland.
Their decision is verified by a commission of the Ministry of Culture, composed of members of the film industry and experts in education and animal rights.
[85] In Kuwait, films are rated by the Censor Board Committee (لجنة الرقابة) under authority of the Ministry of Information (وزارة الإعلام).
The Committee may sanction edits of or outright ban certain films in order to comply with cultural laws and values of Kuwait.
Kijkwijzer is an advisory system for parents, but Dutch law also has a legal provision for public spaces, including cinemas.
[104][105] With a few exceptions, films, videos, DVDs and restricted computer games must carry a label before being offered for supply or exhibited to the public.
[106][107] In 2017 the Office of Film and Literature Classification created a special RP18 rating for online content in response to the Netflix television series, 13 Reasons Why.
[114] [115] The categories are: In Norway, all films—whether they are exhibited in cinemas, distributed on video, shown on television or streamed through on-demand services—are required by law to be classified.
In cinemas the ratings are mandatory (subject to parental guidance) whereas for video releases they are merely advisory, except in the case of pornographic content.
[123][124] Ratings in Romania are set by the National Center of Cinematography (Romanian: Centrul Național al Cinematografiei) (CNC).
[152] The following categories are used:[153][154] Switzerland has adopted Germany's Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft (Voluntary Self-Regulation of the Film Industry, FSK).
Under Swiss law, however, children up to two years younger than the age recommendations will be admitted if accompanied by a person invested with parental authority.
[156] From 1994 until 2015, the Government Information Office (GIO) classified films into four categories (General Audience/Protected/Parental Guidance/Restricted) pursuant to its issued Regulations Governing the Classification of Motion Pictures of the Republic of China (電影片分級處理辦法 in traditional Chinese):[157] The "Parental Guidance" rating previously prohibited viewing by children under the age of 12 and required adolescents aged 12–17 to be accompanied by an adult.
[158][159][160] A motion picture rating system was proposed in the Film and Video Act of 2007, and was passed on December 20, 2007 by the Thai military-appointed National Legislative Assembly, replacing laws which had been in place since 1930.
[162] They are as follows: In Turkey, movies to be shown in cinemas are rated by the Evaluation and Classification Board of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The board also has the power to refuse classification in extreme cases (producers and distributors can submit an edited version of a movie to the board but edited versions may also be rejected if still deemed inappropriate); in this case, the movie will be banned with the exception of special artistic activities like fairs, festivals, feasts and carnivals.
[165][166] In addition to the age ratings, content is also assessed for violence/horror, sexuality and negative examples i.e. drugs, vulgar and slang language.
[168] The National Media Council, established in 2006 when the ministry was eventually dissolved, would continue practising categorising films by perceiving content[169] until February 2018, when it officially re-established the film age rating system under new guidelines, whilst also introducing new age rating systems for video games and print publications.
If the BBFC refuses a classification this effectively amounts to a ban (although local councils retain the legal right to overturn it in the case of cinema exhibition).
The BBFC's regulatory powers do not extend to the Internet, so a film they have banned on physical media can still be made available via streaming media/video on demand.
