Film labels
Films
ALL films that are supplied to the public must be labelled.
You will find the labels:
- displayed at all cinemas and before feature films
- on video cassettes
- on video and DVD cases
- as part of film trailers and advertising material such as posters
Film labels are colour coded, much the same as traffic lights:
- GREEN means anyone can view a film
- YELLOW means that anyone can view the film, but the film may contain material, such as violence or sexual themes, which may offend or upset some people. Parental guidance is advised before children view the film.
- RED means that the film is legally restricted and can only be viewed by the audience specified. There are no exceptions to this restriction.
All labels have a rating or classification symbol and usually a descriptive note briefly explaining the content of the film, for example whether the film contains violence or sex.
Rating labels
Ratings are assigned to unrestricted films. The ratings are usually given to them by the Film and Video Labelling Body. There are different levels of ratings, including:
G - Unrestricted
Anyone can be shown or sold this. The G rating can be given by the Film and Video Labelling Body and the Office of Film and Literature Classification.
PG - Unrestricted
Parental guidance may be needed for younger viewers. The PG rating can be given by the Film and Video Labelling Body and the Office of Film and Literature Classification.
M - Unrestricted
More suitable for viewers over 16 years. The M rating can be given by the Film and Video Labelling Body and the Office of Film and Literature Classification.
The Office classifies all films containing restricted material. The Office can classify according to age or purpose, or restrict a film's availability to a particular audience. The following classifications are common:
R13 - Restricted
It is illegal for anyone to show or sell this to someone under 13 years of age. An R13 classification is given by the Office of Film and Literature Classification.
R15 - Restricted
It is illegal for anyone to show or sell this to someone under 15 years of age. An R15 classification is given by the Office of Film and Literature Classification.
R16 - Restricted
It is illegal for anyone to show or sell this to someone under 16 years of age. An R16 classification is given by the Office of Film and Literature Classification.
R18 - Restricted
It is illegal to show or sell this to someone under 18 years of age. An R18 classification is given by the Office of Film and Literature Classification.
R - Restricted
R means that there is a special restriction. Refer to the words on the right of the label for the full conditions.
RP16 - Restricted
It is illegal to show or sell this to someone under under 16 years of age unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
RP13 - Restricted
It is illegal to show or sell this to someone under under 13 years of age unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
A guardian is considered to be a responsible adult (18 years and over), for example, a family member or teacher who can provide guidance.
Other Publications
The law does not require magazines, books and other non-film publications to be labelled before they are released to the public unless they have been submitted and given a restricted classification by the Office.
Publications submitted to the Classification Office (by a distributor, law enforcement agency, or member of the public) can be classified and have conditions imposed on their display, including labelling requirements. Red labels have been available for restricted non-film publications such as magazines since 2005.
Unofficial labels on non-film publications do not mean that a publication has been classified. Distributors sometimes assign their own labels to these publications to warn consumers of content. These labels are not allowed to resemble official classification labels.
Updated 18.07.2008