Canadian motion picture rating system

Motion picture ratings in Canada are mostly a provincial responsibility, and each province has its own legislation regarding exhibition and admission. For home video purposes, a single Canadian Home Video Rating System rating consisting of an average of the participating provincial ratings is displayed on retail packages, although various provinces may have rules on display and sale, especially for the R and A categories.

There are currently six film classification offices rating movies in Canada, each an agency of a provincial government:
* British Columbia Film Classification Office
* Alberta Film Ratings
* Manitoba Film Classification Board
* Ontario Film Review Board
* Régie du cinéma du Québec
* Maritime Film Classification Board – run by the Nova Scotia Alcohol & Gaming Authority, it provides ratings for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island (and some theatres in Newfoundland and Labrador though it is not compulsory).

The province of Saskatchewan has a Film and Video Classification Board, but since 1997, it uses ratings provided by British Columbia. Newfoundland has no classification office or system. "Newfoundland theatres and video store operators are not required by legislation to use ratings, many theatres in Newfoundland use the classifications assigned by the Maritime Film Board in Nova Scotia". [cite web|url=http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/ratings_classification_systems/film_classification/nfld_film_classification.cfm |title=Newfoundland and Labrador Film Classification |publisher=Media Awareness Network |accessdate=2007-12-01] Of the three Canadian territories, Yukon uses the BC ratings, while Nunavut and the Northwest Territories use Alberta ratings.

Canadian ratings outside Quebec

In the past there was a wide range of rating categories and practices in the various provinces. However, the five rating systems outside Quebec now all use categories and logos derived from the Canadian Home Video Rating System. [cite web|url=http://www.cd.gov.ab.ca/albertafilmratings/movie_ratings_guide/ |title=Alberta Film Ratings |publisher=Alberta Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture |accessdate=2007-12-01] [cite web |url=http://www.bcfilmclass.com/categories/ |title=classification categories |work=BC Film Classification |publisher=Business Practices & Consumer Protection Authority of British Columbia |accessdate=2007-12-01] [cite web|url=http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/mfcb/class.html |title=Film and Video Ratings |publisher=Manitoba Film Classification Board |accessdate=2007-12-01] [cite web |url=http://www.gov.ns.ca/enla/agd/film/ratingguidelines.asp |title=Rating Guidelines |publisher=Nova Scotia Ministry of Environment and Labour, Alcohol & Gaming Division |date=2005-08-02 |accessdate=2007-12-01] [cite web|url=http://www.ofrb.gov.on.ca/english/page6.htm |title=Classification Categories and Content Advisories |publisher=Ontario Film Review Board |date=2007-11-06 |accessdate=2007-12-01] In general, the categories are:

* G - General Audience - Suitable for all ages.
* PG - Parental Guidance - Parental guidance advised. There is no age restriction but some material may not be suitable for all children.
* 14A - 14 Accompaniment - Persons under 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
* 18A - 18 Accompaniment - Persons under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. In the Maritimes & Manitoba, children under the age of 14 are prohibited from viewing the film.
* R - Restricted - Admittance restricted to people 18 years of age or older.
* A - Adult - Admittance restricted to people 18 years of age or older. Sole purpose of the film is the portrayal of sexually explicit activity and/or explicit violence. In Alberta, the A category is used only for sexually explicit products. Manitoba and Ontario do not have this category, Manitoba uses a barcode labelling system for Adult home videos while Ontario has a Restricted-Adult Sex (RX) rating for home video products. In British Columbia, the A symbol is a red octagon rather than a blue diamond.

This system was adopted by Alberta and British Columbia in 1997. Manitoba and Ontario adopted it in 2003 and the Maritimes adopted it in April 2005.

There is also a common stock of Information Pieces ("Frightening Scenes", "Coarse Language", etc), [cite web|url=http://www.cmpda.ca/jsp/v-information.jsp |title=The 15 Information Pieces & Definitions |publisher=CMPDA |accessdate=2007-12-01] although different boards may have additional qualifiers.

Each board is responsible for assigning a rating to films, and while most movies will likely obtain the same rating, there can be differences. For instance, the film "" was rated 18A in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario while Manitoba and the Maritimes gave the film an R and Quebec gave the film a 16+ (it was R in the USA).

Since Canada receives much American advertising concerning film ratings, it should be noted that the American MPAA "R" rating is similar to the Canadian "18A" category (under-18s admitted with adult accompaniment). The Canadian "R" category would be similar to the American NC-17 rating.

Quebec system

In Quebec the "Régie du Cinéma" rates films and videos.

* G. ("Visa général") -- May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons of all ages. A classification of "Visa général" means that the film so classified is unlikely to disturb an average viewer. It in no way indicates that the film is considered to be "suitable" for children. Only a "for children" notice would indicate that such a film would be appropriate for younger viewers.

* 13+. ("13 ans+") -- May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons 13 years of age or over. Children 12 years of age and under may be admitted to a public showing of the film but only if accompanied by an adult aged 16 or older. When rating a film as 13+, the examiners consider: certain scenes of violence (senseless destruction, physical harm, graphic violence, etc.); the representation of sexuality (extremely detailed intimate scenes, sexual relationships promoting dominance or disturbing situations, etc.); certain themes (suicide, family break-ups, mental instability, marginal behaviour, etc.).

* 16+. ("16 ans+") -- May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons 16 years of age or over. These films may contain complex sequences, including violent or erotic elements, as well as certain problematic situations encountered by adults. However, the examiners are required to conduct a rigorous evaluation when considering the following; detailed and complacent images of unwarranted or sustained violence; particularly troubling images; the manner in which sexuality is depicted.

* 18+. "(18 ans+)" -- May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons 18 years of age or over. Films reserved for adults most often deal primarily with the representation of explicit sexual encounters. They may also be extremely violent, showing scenes of hyperrealistic cruelty, torture and horror.

The ratings are sometimes accompanied by indications which specify the dominant characteristic of the film. These may prove quite useful when the classification alone does not provide sufficient information.

"For children",Associated with a "Visa général" rating, this indication means that the film is particularly suitable for young children.

"Not suitable for young children", Associated with a "Visa général" rating, this indication warns that the film may be disturbing to children under eight years of age.

"Coarse language", Accompanies a rating of "13 years and over," "16 years and over", or "18 years and over." This indication means that the film contains coarse or obscene language.

"Eroticism", Accompanies a rating of "13 years and over", "16 years and over", or "18 years and over." This indication specifies that the film contains enough visual elements pertaining to sexuality to make this one of its dominant characteristics.

"Violence", Accompanies a rating of "13 years and over", "16 years and over", or "18 years and over." This indication means that violence is one of the dominant aspects of the film.

"Horror", Accompanies a rating of "13 years and over", "16 years and over", or "18 years and over." This indication warns that the film is strongly characterized by scenes aimed at provoking disgust, repulsion or fear, such as those showing mutilated bodies.

"Explicit sexuality",Only accompanies the classification of "18 years and over." This indication signifies that the film essentially contains scenes of real and explicit sexual activity. In the retail video industry, the presence of this indication requires the storeowner to place the film in a separate adults-only room or the entire store must be off limits to minors e.g. a sex shop.

Criticism

In certain provinces in Canada, the rating system has come under criticism as being too lenient. For example, in British Columbia, the film "Scary Movie" was given an 18A rating but was re-rated on appeal by the Motion Picture and Liquor Appeal Board to a 14A. This resulted in a record number of complaints to the British Columbia Film Classification Office from parents who felt the film should have been rated 18A. Many parents wrote letters to their local newspaper warning others that the film may be inappropriate for their fourteen-year-olds. Theatre owners complained about the inappropriate rating as well. [cite web|url=http://www.bcfilmclass.com/reconsideration/2004/goingthedistance.pdf |format=PDF |title=RECONSIDERATION DECISION: GOING THE DISTANCE requested by Odeon Films |date=2004-08-19 |accessdate=2007-12-01 |first=Steven |last=Pelton |publisher=British Columbia Film Classification Office]

In British Columbia and Ontario, the Restricted rating is used almost exclusively for films which contain explicit sex. For this reason, with the adoption of the current rating system, many theatres refuse to book R rated films.

See also

* Motion Picture Association of America film rating system
* Entertainment Software Ratings Board, the video game equivalent used in Canada and the United States

References