Film certification and regulation

Overview

Recall questions on the BBFC and its funding, local authority powers, the 12A certificate, the Video Recordings Act 1984, cutting for a lower rating, the American production code, regulating a global release, and the challenges streaming and digital technology pose to classification.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What does the British Board of Film Classification do?

   Model answer

   It classifies films and video releases for the UK, giving each an age rating and, where necessary, requiring cuts before it can be released.

2. 2

   How is the BBFC funded, and why is that sometimes criticised?

   Model answer

   It is funded by the fees the industry pays to have its work classified, which keeps it independent of government but leaves it open to the charge that the industry pays for its own regulator.

3. 3

   Who holds the legal power to decide what may be shown in a UK cinema?

   Model answer

   The local authority that licenses the cinema, which normally accepts the BBFC's classification but can overrule it.

4. 4

   What does the 12A certificate mean?

   Model answer

   It means no one under twelve may be admitted to the film in a cinema unless an adult accompanies them.

5. 5

   Which law made classification of films released on video legally compulsory in the UK?

   Model answer

   The Video Recordings Act 1984.

6. 6

   Why might a distributor cut a film before submitting it for classification?

   Model answer

   A lower certificate widens the audience that can legally be admitted, so trimming a scene can be worth a great deal at the box office.

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