BBFC

Brithish Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is a non profit, non government organisation. There mission statement is as follows;

'As a highly expert and experienced regulator, our mission is to:

• protect  the public, and especially children, from content which might raise harm risks

• empower the public, especially parents, to make informed viewing choices

• recognise and respect adult freedom of choice within the law

• respond to and reflect changing social attitudes towards media content through proactive public consultation and research

• provide a cost-effective, efficient classification service within our statutory remit

• work in partnership with the industry to develop innovative service models to provide content advice which support emerging media delivery systems

• provide an effective service to enforcement agencies '

They have a set of guidelines that a film must fit into in order to be of a certian catogory. These are broken down in to 'U', 'Uc', 'PG', '12', '12A', '15' and '18'. PG standing for Parental Guidence and U standing for Universal, or sutable for all ages effectively.

 Some of the main issues that the BBFC have in deciding the age restriction, or if the film should at all be released are;

Discrimination.

Potentially offensive content, relating to such matters as race, gender, religion, disability or sexuality, may arise in a wide range of works, and the classification decision will take account of the strength or impact of its inclusion.

Drugs.

No film is allowed to promote the taking of illegal drugs. If a film is promoting this then odds are that it will never reach your screen. However if it does show the serious impact or emphasise the danger then it is more likely to be allowed than if it showed no side effects. Any glamorisation of smoking or exsessive drinking will be taken into effect when the film is released.

Immatable Behaviour.

Any behaviour including smoking, drinking, bullying or carrying guns or knives that is deemed to be making it look glamorable will be restricted accordingly in order for kids not to copy or think it is a good idea. However anything that includes the glamorisation of things such as selfharming, hanging or anything putting ones self in immediate danger may be cut or not released at all.

A recent decision to ban a film would be the Human Centipede 2 directed by Tom Six. It was rejected on these grounds

'THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 (FULL SEQUENCE) is a horror sequel in which a vulnerable and disturbed individual, sexually obsessed with the first film, attempts to create his own 'human centipede'. Unlike the first HUMAN CENTIPEDE, this work presents graphic images of sexual violence, forced defecation and mutilation and the viewer is invited to experience the event from the perspective of the central character. The central focus of THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 (FULL SEQUENCE) is the sexual arousal of this character at the idea and later the spectacle of the total degradation, humiliation, mutilation, torture, rape and murder of his naked victims. There is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalised and degraded for the amusement and sexual arousal of the main character and for the pleasure of the viewer. There is a strong and sustained focus throughout the work on the link between sexual arousal and sexual violence and a clear association between non-consensual pain and sexual pleasure.'