FAQsHow does the BBFC classify films and videos? What are the differences between the ‘U’ and ‘Uc’ categories? How does the BBFC make decisions? I run my school PTA and would like an examiner to give a talk about the BBFC, is that possible? What are the BBFC's main concerns whem making classification decisions? I can’t find any information about the film/DVD/game I want to look up. How can I find it? Is every film, DVD and game on this website? I want to teach my child about classification, how can I do that? My child is studying classification and censorship at school - are there any resources to help? Are films that are downloaded from the internet classified by the BBFC? Do online films have a BBFC classification? I'm worried about my child downloading non-certificated works - do you have any tips to help me? Why are there trailers for ‘15’ and ’18' films before children’s films? My child is 16, how can they prove they are old enough to go to see a '15'? How does the BBFC classify films and DVDs?Films and videos are normally classified by at least two examiners using the published Guidelines. What are the differences between the ‘U’ and ‘Uc’ categories?The 'U' category is given to films and DVDs that are likely to be suitable for anyone over the age of four years old. The ‘Uc’ category no longer exists. The ’Uc’ category was a special category for DVD, and signalled that content was especially suitable for pre-school children in terms of story, content and presentation. It was an optional category and distributors could request it. Older DVDs in your collection may still carry a ‘Uc’ symbol. There should be nothing in a ‘Uc’ video or DVD to upset the youngest children, although it is always important to remember that the very young are sometimes unpredictable is the way they react to what they see on the screen, and that parents or carers should always be at hand. All works that are particularly suitable for pre-school children are now classified ‘U’. They carry clear Consumer Advice which explains they are appropriate for that very young audience. The standard Consumer Advice reads ‘Particularly suitable for pre-school children’. For more details of what might be found in a ‘U’ work, please see the category guide. I run my school PTA and would like an examiner to give a talk about the BBFC, is that possible?
Yes, we as long as we have the staff available we are happy to come and give talks to adult groups explaining how we rate films and what resources we have available to parents. Talks are illustrated with clips from films and we can tailor them to specific topics if necessary - for example issues in children's films or violence in movies. Please contact us here for more details. How does the BBFC classify video games?
Video games are classified under the same Guidelines and using the same categories as ‘linear’ works such as film or DVD. The BBFC acknowledges the difference between watching a film or DVD and the more interactive experience of playing a game but recognises that, to date, limited research has been done into whether ‘interactivity’ has any significant effect on the potential for harm. In addition, the interactivity inherent in video games may, in certain contexts, lead to a greater potential for some content to be considered unsuitable for certain age groups. The ability of a game to make a young player complicit in behaviour involving, for example, sex, drugs or realistic violence, may be as important as the level of detail shown, especially where such behaviour forms a major component of the game, and where the level of interactivity is high. In a video game, the frequency with which an issue occurs is also often difficult to quantify, as it will depend on how the player chooses to play the game, and how many times a particular level is attempted before completion. Where frequency is a category defining issue (for example, with respect to strong language), the BBFC bases its judgement on an assessment of the frequency with which a player is likely to encounter the issue during normal gameplay. Given the lack of research, especially in relation to harm, and given the rapid developments in the sophistication of video games, the BBFC may take a more cautious approach when a video game lies on the borderline between two categories, or contains material which raises issues of acceptability at the adult categories. How does the BBFC make its decisions?
All decisions are made based on published and regularly updated Guidelines. The BBFC Guidelines are available on this site and on the BBFC’s other websites.
The Guidelines are based on UK law and on extensive public consultation. They reflect current views on film, DVD and video game regulation. Over 8700 members of the public were asked their views on classification – including discussion of issues such as language, discrimination, violence, sex and drugs in films, DVDs and video games, parental concerns about younger viewers and recent decisions made by the BBFC.
The most recent Guidelines were published in June 2009. More information can be found here. What are the BBFC’s main concerns when classifying films, DVDs and video games?BBFC examiners look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, sexual violence, theme and violence when making decisions over which certificate a film, DVD or video game should get. They also consider context, the tone and impact of a work (ie how it makes the audience feel), the release format (because DVDs are watched in the home, for example, where there is a higher risk of underage viewing). Why are some films that were passed ‘12A’ in the cinema ’15’ on DVD?The main reason for the difference is the content of the DVD ‘add-ons’, but occasionally these films will be marketed as being the ‘uncut’ edition or the ‘extended’ version of a film. This will mean that the works contain additional footage, either added to the film itself or included in the extras package, that have made the new version a ‘15’. The extra footage could include the use of strong language ('f**k'), extended sex scenes, the inclusion of drug use or more intense scenes of horror or violence. The Consumer Advice on the DVD packaging will indicate which issues resulted in the higher classification. Can I bring back DVDs from abroad that are not currently classified?The Video Recordings Act 1984 (VRA) makes it illegal to supply any video or DVD within the UK which has not been classified by the BBFC. There are some exceptions to this (eg educational works or works predominantly concerned with sport, religion and music) but all feature films and TV programmes must be classified. Can a school show DVDs of a particular category to children below that age?The classification decision indicates that the film contains material which the Board considers unsuitable for children younger than the age specified. What does the 'E' symbol mean, and is it an official category?The 'E' symbol on video packaging indicates that the distributor believes the work to be exempt from classification. Under the Video Recordings Act 1984, a video is an exempted work if it is designed to inform, educate or instruct; is concerned with sport, religion or music; or is a video game. However, if such a work depicts human sexual activity or gross violence to any significant extent it will need a BBFC classification. Why are only some computer games classified by the BBFC?Under the Video Recordings Act, most video games are exempt from BBFC classification. However, they may lose this exemption - and therefore require a formal BBFC classification - if they depict, to any significant extent, gross violence against humans or animals, human sexual activity, human urinary or excretory functions or genital organs, or techniques likely to be useful in the commission of offences. How do people become examiners?Recruitment is through advertisement in the national press and on the BBFC website. The BBFC employs examiners from a wide variety of backgrounds. A broad knowledge of film or digital media is required, as well as an ability to grasp classification issues such as violence, imitable behaviour, sexual portrayal and drugs. My enjoyment of a ‘12A’ film was spoiled by very young children in the cinema. Who should I complain to?While we can do nothing about individual cases of young children causing disruption during ‘12A’ films, this is a matter which we recognise is of some concern to the public. I can’t find any information about the film/DVD/game I want to look up. How can I find it? Extended Classification Information should be available for all films classified ‘U’, ‘PG’ or ‘12A’ at the cinema or ‘U’, ‘PG’ or ‘12’ on video/DVD since the start of 2007. ECI is also available for many other titles and all video games. We aim to publish the advice 10 days before cinema release, or as soon as possible after a film is classified. A full guide to ECI is given here. In addition information on all cinema releases and video games is also published on our main website www.bbfc.co.uk. To search for a title if you can find it on PBBFC you can click here.
Is every film, DVD and game on this website? Extended Consumer Advice should be available for all films classified ‘U’, ‘PG’ or ‘12A’ at the cinema or ‘U’, ‘PG’ or ‘12’ on video/DVD since the start of 2007. ECI is also available for many other titles and all video games. We aim to publish the advice 10 days before cinema release, or as soon as possible after a film is classified. A full guide to ECI is given here. If you can’t find information on a specific film, please feel free to contact us. If possible, we will add the work you require to our database. In addition information on all cinema releases and video games is also published on our main website www.bbfc.co.uk. To search for a title if you can find it on PBBFC you can click here.
I want to teach my child about classification, how can I do that? The BBFC has two websites designed and maintained by its education team. CBBFC (www.cbbfc.co.uk) is a website aimed at children aged seven and over, it includes games and activities for use in the classroom and at home, an opportunity to rate and review films and information for parents and teachers. SBBFC (www.sbbfc.co.uk) is a site for older students studying subjects such as Media and Film Studies and those in further education. SBBFC has guides for students and teachers, Case Studies on famous films, news articles and other materials. My child is studying classification and censorship at school - are there any resources to help? The BBFC has two websites designed and maintained by its education team. CBBFC (www.cbbfc.co.uk) is a website aimed at children aged seven and over, it includes games and activities for use in the classroom and at home, an opportunity to rate and review films and information for parents and teachers. SBBFC (www.sbbfc.co.uk) is a site for older students studying subjects such as Media and Film Studies and those in further education. SBBFC has guides for students and teachers, Case Studies on famous films, news articles and other materials. Are films that are downloaded from the internet classified by the BBFC? Streaming and downloading of films has not yet been regulated under the law, but working with the major video distributors, we have developed a scheme for responsible companies offering downloads and streaming video to use our classifications. 'BBFC.online' allows companies to give consumers pre-purchase information (including our symbols and consumer advice) and ensure that age-restricted content is kept from children. More details will appear on PBBFC and BBFC soon. Do online films have a BBFC classification? Only those marketed by companies belonging to the BBFC.online scheme outlined above. We expect these will include most of the major video distributors, websites and set-top box services offering digital films and video. I'm worried about my child downloading non-certificated works - do you have any tips to help me?
Why are there trailers for ‘15’ and ’18' films before children’s films? Trailers are classified as stand alone works. Often they are submitted before a film has arrived at the BBFC or been rated. Examiners note the different issues (eg sex, violence, language) and the theme and tone of the trailer before making a recommendation. Classification decisions may be more restrictive with regard to trailers and advertisements. This is because difficult content in such short works may have a greater impact on an unprepared audience. A film trailer or advertisement can be shown alongside a feature film as long as it has not been classified higher than the category given to that feature. This is still the case if the film trailer is for a feature which has received a classification higher than the film it is being shown alongside. However, as trailers have shorter bursts of action it is possible that snippets from, say, a ‘15’ rated horror film may lack intensity in a short trailer and be containable at ‘12A’. Therefore, theoretically, a trailer for a '18' film, if classified 'U', could be shown alongside a 'U' rated film. (Although this is very rarely the case.) A trailer is certificated separately from the feature it is advertising. Often trailers are submitted for classification months before the film is, so it is not possible to know the content or the category of the film. The BBFC is not responsible for the exhibition of cinema trailers. It is the responsibility of the cinemas themselves to ensure that age-appropriate trailers are shown during screenings My child is 16, how can they prove they are old enough to go to see a '15'? When the BBFC awards a film a '15' classification, this indicates that no one younger than 15 years can seen the film in a cinema, even if accompanied by an adult or has obtained parental permission. The cinema will be violating the terms of its license (issued by the local authority) if it admits under-aged children to age-restricted films. Box office staff are within their right to request proof of age of customers if they believe a child to be under age. Likewise, they can refuse to admit a customer if age cannot be proven, or ID is unsatisfactory. Cinemas can refuse to admit a 15 year old (or over) for '15'-rated films without proof of age, despite reassurances from accompanying parents or guardians. Such caution is necessary as cinemas and their staff risk heavy fines or even loss of license if caught in breach of these conditions.. The responsibility for complying with license conditions rests solely with the cinema. It is outside the remit of the BBFC to advise on how these age restrictions are enforced by cinemas. They will be a matter of company policy, or made in accordance with license conditions or the requirements of the local authority. However, all cinemas will have terms of admittance, and parents and teenage viewers are advised to consult these initially. Often these terms will identify what forms of ID are acceptable. They can be found on cinema websites, or should be available from the box office staff. Some cinemas and chains operate their own ID card system for teenagers and students. Some local authorities offer 'proof of age' cards for public transport which may be acceptable. Some cinemas operate teenage 'film clubs'. Again, information will be available at the cinema.
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