13/01/2014 - New rules look at horror, language, theme and sex

David Cooke

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is issuing new classification guidelines that will come into force on February 24. The BBFC is publishing these guidelines based on a large-scale public consultation it carried out in 2012 and 2013. The new rules will give greater weight to the theme and tone of a film or video; particular attention will be given to the psychological impact of horror, as well as strong visual detail such as gore; the public wants the BBFC to be stricter with the language allowed and these will be looked at on a contextual level; and concerns about sexualisation of girls and pornography will also be addressed.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC, said, “Regular public consultation is crucial to continued public trust in what we do.  Our new classification guidelines reflect explicitly concerns raised by the public during the 2013 consultation and will, I believe, ensure that we continue to be in step with what the public wants and expects in order to make sensible and informed viewing decisions.”

“There is also room for continued improvement. Although it is 12 years old this year, the 12A rating remains confusing for a significant minority, with up to 27% of consumers unable to describe accurately what 12A means.  We and the film industry will work during 2014 to improve understanding of this very important rating as well as raise awareness of BBFC insight information, which is vital in helping parents decide if a 12A film is suitable for their child,” Cooke added.