Film classification

Certificates are given to films to help the audience choose if the film they are looking to watch will be suitable for them.  The film cannot be legally sold to the person if they are not over the age of the certificate given to the film.  Of course the bbfc cannot predict how every one is going to react to certain scenes with in a film, weather this be in a PG rated film or an 18.

U 

‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.

If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.

PG    

'PG' stands for 'Parental Gaurdian'.  This basically means any one can watch it but if you are a young child (about the age of 8 and under) it is advised for the parent to look at what the film contains and decide weather they think the film will be appropriate for their child.                                                                                         

                                                                                       

12A

Cinema only. Introduced in 2002.

Films under this category are considered to be unsuitable for very young people. Those aged under 12 years are only admitted if accompanied by an adult, aged at least 18 years, at all times during the motion picture. However, it is generally not recommended that children under 12 years should watch the film. Films under this category can contain mature themes, discrimination, soft drugs, commonly used milder swear words, and moderate violence/sex references.

12

Home media only since 2002. 12A-rated films are usually given a 12 certificate for the DVD version unless extra material has been added which makes it need a higher rating.  A 12 is likely to allow the same contents as a 12A does.  However with a 12 the bbfc may be more laid back towards certain scenes in the film.   





15

Only those over 15 years are admitted.

Nobody younger than 15 can rent or buy a 15-rated DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game, or watch a film in the cinema with this rating. Films under this category can contain adult themes, hard drugs, commonly used swear words, moderate-strong violence/sex references, and mild non-detailed sex activity.

18

Like with a 12 and a 15 for people to be allowed to buy a film with the certificate of 18 they will need to be at or above the age of the certificate. Films under this category do not have limitation on the bad language that is used. Hard drugs are generally allowed, and strong violence/sex references along with non-detailed sex activity is also allowed.

R18

Only adults are admitted, and can only be shown at licensed cinemas or sold at sex shops. This rating does not exist for video games yet. Films under this category has material which the bbfc does not allow for it's "18" rating but is considered acceptable by law. Thus the violence and sex activity will be stronger in R18-rated DVDs and films than those which are rated "18".

Our Trailer

We have given our media trailer a certificate of 15. This is because it will contain strong language, scenes of horror and frequent drug references. Although we want the film to appeal to strong horror fans we decided not to give it an 18 certificate as we wanted to attract a large target audience and from previous research we found out that teen to young adults go to the cinema the most.