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LO3 Understanding the regulation of the media sector
Film Classification and Censorship
Who are the BBFC and what do they do? The BBFC are the British Board of Film Classification and they give all films distributed in the UK an age suitability rating. They can be contacted via their website. The feature is shown to censors working for the BBFC before it is released to the public, they then decide which rating is going to be assigned to it. What are the 6 UK classification certificates? U-Universal, suitable for all ages. Ice Age, The Little Mermaid PG-Parental Guidance, certain scenes may be unsuitable for young children. Wreck It Ralph, Frozen. 12-Suitable for people aged 12 and over. Pacific Rim, Godzilla. 15-Suitable for people aged 15 and over. Mama, The Royal Tenenbaums 18-Suitable for people aged 18 and over. Blade, Kill Bill. R18-Can only be sold at licensed sex shops and adult cinemas. N/A. Why does the BBFC classify films? The BBFC classify and censor films in order to protect young children from unsuitable or harmful content, and also so that consumers can get basic information about the films content by looking at its casing. What is censorship? Censorship is the banning or restriction of unsuitable or harmful content from films, books, TV shows and video games in order to protect younger viewers or people who dislike themes including violence, drug use etc. Consumers can also self-censor, for example if a parent sees a PG-rated film and deems it unsuitable for their child they can stop their child from watching. LO3 Understanding the regulation of the media sector
Give an example of censorship. (Include film title, complaint/reason for censoring and outcome) Cannibal Holocaust was banned from 1984 to 2001, due to graphic violence, sexual assault, genuine violence towards animals and accusations of it being a snuff film; the director was arrested on obscenity charges and had to prove that no-one died during filming as the cast had signed a contract agreeing not to appear in public for one year after the films release. How do you make a complaint about a film? One way to complain about films in the UK is to email the BBFC at feedback@bbfc.co.uk or writing to them, or tweeting them.