RESEARCH: Marketing and Distribution

The British Board of Film Classification


The BBFC classifies over 500 films and around 7000 videos each year, together with trailers, adverts and a small number of video games.

The age categories are designed to help parents decide what to let their children watch, and also to prevent children watching films which may contain scenes of sex, violence and drug use.

U – Generally means suitable for all, it should have reassuring counterbalance to any threat or horror shown.
Drugs:  No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are infrequent and innocuous, or there is a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children.
Horror: Scary sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring.
Language: Infrequent use only of very mild bad language.
Nudity: Occasional natural nudity, with no sexual context.
Sex: Mild sexual behaviour (for example, kissing) and references only (for example, to ‘making love’).
Violence: Mild violence only. Occasional mild threat or menace only.

PG – Parental guidance. This is general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
Drugs: References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be innocuous or carry a suitable anti-drug message.
Horror: Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor.
Language: Mild bad language only
Nudity: Natural nudity, with no sexual context.
Sex: Sexual activity may be implied, but should be discreet and infrequent. Mild sex references and innuendo only.
Violence: Moderate violence, without detail, may be allowed, if justified by its context (for example, history, comedy or fantasy).

12A – This category only exists in cinema viewing. No one under 12 can watch a 12A movie in the cinema without an adult.
Drugs: Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.
Horror: Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.
Language: Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.

Nudity: Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
Sex: Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
Violence: Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.

 

12 – This category exists only for video works. No one under the age of 12 can buy or rent a 12 rated movie. This category has the same rules as 12A

15 – No one younger than 15 may buy or rent a movie that is rated 15.
Drugs: Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.
Horror: Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.
Language: There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity: Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
Sex: Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable
Violence: Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.

18 – No one younger than 18 can watch an 18 rated movie in the cinema, or buy or rent an 18 rated movie.
18 rated moves are an extension of 15 rated movies; everything is more hardcore in terms of drug use, nudity, sexual activity, language and violence.

Our movie will be a 15 as it will contain moderate drug use but it won’t promote the drugs taken in any way, there will be a strong horror theme but it will not be sadistic or sexualised. There will be some strong language but it won’t be too extreme.
There won’t be any nude scenes in the movie but there might be scenes of a sexual nature.
There will be strong scenes of violence in the movie but only in small doses.