The BBFC free App is now available on Android devices. The App lets users check the latest film and DVD classification decisions from the BBFC. A useful tool for parents and guardians, the App gives instant access to the classification, running time and detailed information about why a film or DVD got the classification it did.

All BBFC film classification decisions come with Extended Classification Information (ECI) which, in the case of cinema films, is available on the App 10 days before the film opens.  ECI explains the classification issues in any film, enabling users to make informed decisions about what they or their family watch.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC says: “We designed the App to equip parents with the tools they need to make informed decisions about the films, videos and video games their children see and play, whether they are visiting the cinema, at home or purchasing a new DVD or video game. The BBFC is the only film classification body to provide detailed Extended Classification Information and we wanted to make this as accessible to parents as possible.”

Each time the App is updated by the user, the classification information is stored on the mobile device making it fully accessible regardless of where the user is, even if they are unable to access mobile internet signal.

The BBFC App is now available for Android, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G and iPod touch. To download the App, search for “BBFC” in the App Store or click on the links below to open the App Store directly.

Android: https://market.android.com/search?q=BBFC&so=1&c=apps

iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bbfc/id417274466?mt=8

For more information contact Catherine Anderson canderson@bbfc.co.uk 0207 440 3285 (out of hours: 07946 423719).

Notes to editors
The BBFC is an independent, private, not for profit company which classifies films, videos, DVDs and certain video games, advertisements and trailers.  The BBFC operates transparent, well-understood and trusted co-regulatory and self regulatory classification regimes based on years of expertise and published Guidelines which reflect public opinion and the risk of harm; and is accountable to Parliament.

In January 2012 the BBFC App was named in the Sunday Times Top 500 Apps.

THREE KEY ISSUES DOMINATED 2010 FOR BBFC

Sexual violence, strong language and the sexualisation of children were the three dominant classification issues for the BBFC in 2010. At the same time the BBFC continued to work with the industry to develop voluntary content labelling strategies for online and Video On Demand (VOD) content outside the Board’s traditional statutory regulatory role. Announcing the publication of the Annual Report for 2010, David Cooke, Director of the BBFC, said:

“A number of the BBFC’s classification decisions were the subject of public and media debate in 2010. The significant cuts to reduce sexual and sexualised violence in I Spit on Your Grave and A Serbian Film in order to obtain an ‘18’ rating prompted some commentators to suggest that the BBFC had suddenly tightened its policies. In both instances, the decisions were firmly in line with our published classification Guidelines which result from extensive and regular consultation with the public. The ‘15’ and ‘12A’ classifications, given respectively, to two highly praised British films, Made in Dagenham and The King’s Speech, also prompted lively debate in the media about the Board’s language policies. It is clear that the public still expects us to be vigilant on language issues: the distinction between the two films was that The King’s Speech involved an exceptional context, that of speech therapy, for which there was no equivalent in Made in Dagenham.

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The BBFC has rejected the sexually violent, and potentially obscene DVD, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) This means that it cannot be legally supplied anywhere in the UK. The decision was taken by the Director, David Cooke and the Presidential Team of Sir Quentin Thomas, Alison Hastings and Gerard Lemos.

The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) is a sequel to the film The Human Centipede (First Sequence), which was classified ‘18’ uncut for cinema and DVD release by the BBFC in 2010. The first film dealt with a mad doctor who sews together three kidnapped people in order to produce the ‘human centipede’of the title. Although the concept of the film was undoubtedly tasteless and disgusting it was a relatively traditional and conventional horror film and the Board concluded that it was not in breach of our Guidelines at ‘18’. This new work, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), tells the story of a man who becomes sexually obsessed with a DVD recording of the first film and who imagines putting the ‘centipede’ idea into practice. Unlike the first film, the sequel presents graphic images of sexual violence, forced defecation, and mutilation, and the viewer is invited to witness events from the perspective of the protagonist. Whereas in the first film the ‘centipede’ idea is presented as a revolting medical experiment, with the focus on whether the victims will be able to escape, this sequel presents the ‘centipede’ idea as the object of the protagonist’s depraved sexual fantasy.

The principal focus of The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) is the sexual arousal of the central character at both the idea and the spectacle of the total degradation, humiliation, mutilation, torture, and murder of his naked victims. Examples of this include a scene early in the film in which he masturbates whilst he watches a DVD of the original Human Centipede film, with sandpaper wrapped around his penis, and a sequence later in the film in which he becomes aroused at the sight of the members of the ‘centipede’ being forced to defecate into one another’s mouths, culminating in sight of the man wrapping barbed wire around his penis and raping the woman at the rear of the ‘centipede’. There is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalised, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience. There is a strong focus throughout on the link between sexual arousal and sexual violence and a clear association between pain, perversity and sexual pleasure. It is the Board’s conclusion that the explicit presentation of the central character’s obsessive sexually violent fantasies is in breach of its Classification Guidelines and poses a real, as opposed to a fanciful, risk that harm is likely to be caused to potential viewers.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said:

“It is the Board’s carefully considered view that to issue a certificate to this work, even if confined to adults, would be inconsistent with the Board’s Guidelines, would risk potential harm within the terms of the VRA, and would be unacceptable to the public.

“The Board also seeks to avoid classifying material that may be in breach of the Obscene Publications Acts 1959 and 1964 (OPA) or any other relevant legislation. The OPA prohibits the publication of works that have a tendency to deprave or corrupt a significant proportion of those likely to see them. In order to avoid classifying potentially obscene material, the Board engages in regular discussions with the relevant enforcement agencies, including the CPS, the police, and the Ministry of Justice. It is the Board’s view that there is a genuine risk that this video work, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), may be considered obscene within the terms of the OPA, for the reasons given above.

“The Board considered whether its concerns could be dealt with through cuts. However, given that the unacceptable content runs throughout the work, cuts are not a viable option in this case and the work is therefore refused a classification.”

Note to Editors

1. Under the terms of the Video Recordings Act, the distributor has the right to appeal to the Video Appeals Committee against this decision within six weeks.
2. The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) has not been submitted for cinema release.

Public Enquiries: 020 7440 1570
Press Enquiries Sue Clark: 020 7440 3285
Out of Hours Mobile: 07946 423719

Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey, today welcomed the BBFC’s new Watch and Rate scheme, which provides classifications for straight to download content, as good for the industry and good for the public.

Speaking after seeing a demonstration of the new scheme, he said:

“The Watch and Rate scheme is a welcome addition to the work done by the BBFC.

“The internet has completely changed the way we access videos and music so it is good to see the BBFC adapting to meet the demands of the online world.

“The BBFC is providing industry with a quick and cost effective classification system for straight-to-download content and the public with an age rating system they trust and understand.

“Age ratings will help parents protect their children from inappropriate content and provide people with more confidence about the content they and their families are watching.”

Since 2008 the BBFC has been working with the UK video industry to provide a content labelling system for film, video and TV content supplied by internet, wireless or mobile signal which the public can trust and understand.  By giving over 200,000 titles a digital classification the BBFC has provided consumers with access to  labelling and content information for a massive ‘back catalogue’ of films and television programmes which are available through video-on-demand, digital rental/sell through, streaming, mobile platforms and connected TV.

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In the latest move to bring the BBFC’s widely recognised and trusted classifications to the world of digitally distributed content, every VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray title classified by the BBFC since 1985 has been given a digital certificate.

Since 2008 the BBFC has been working with the UK video industry to provide a content labelling system for film, video and TV content supplied by internet, wireless or mobile signal which the public can trust and understand.  By giving over 200,000 titles a digital classification the BBFC has provided consumers with access to  labelling and content information for a massive ‘back catalogue’ of films and television programmes which are available through video-on-demand, digital rental/sell through, streaming, mobile platforms and connected TV.

Platforms and e-tailers using the BBFC’s classifications for their online content pay a licensing fee under the BBFC.online service.  As well as the ‘back catalogue’ all their new content classified by the BBFC is given an ‘online’ certificate for digital distribution.

For material which is going straight to online the BBFC has developed a brand new classification service, known as ‘Watch and Rate’ which provides digital e-tailers and platforms with a robust labelling and child protection system for the online world at a cost and speed which reflects the needs of digital distribution.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said:

“Our new service for straight to online content will provide the industry with a service which will ensure that they can get their content, along with BBFC labelling, out into the rapidly moving digital space.  For parents it will offer labelling and content advice they know and trust in what is, for many, an unfamiliar landscape.

“We have an exciting part to play in the film and video industry’s digital future. For almost 100 years, we have supported innovation in the moving image industries, and our latest service is designed to support the ever-increasing technological development in our second century.  Issuing 200,000 certificates at a stroke is a major step towards this.”

Lavinia Carey, Director General of the British Video Association said:

“The BBFC’s act of issuing 200,000 ‘online’ certificates has shown a major commitment to the digital development of home entertainment. At a time when the film and video industry is reinventing itself, the BBFC’s role and contribution to the digital future is hugely appreciated and supported by our members”.

Stephen Joy, Production Manager of Entertainment One said:

“Watch & Rate enables us to distribute certified works digitally without the costs of marketing a physical DVD. Having their trusted symbols attached to our products in the digital space has allowed entry to key on-demand platforms fast, and at low cost.”

Eric Stevens, Head of Independent Distribution for Independent Film Company said:

“BBFC’s Watch & Rate provided us with a cost effective way of certifying products for use in the On Demand space. Licensing and sign-up was quick, service costs were cost effective, for a content owner of our size and online submission was straightforward and streamlined.”

Notes to Editors

1. BBFC.online members include:

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Europe

20th Century Fox

Warner Brothers

Paramount Pictures

Universal Pictures

2 Entertain

BFI Video

Contender Home Entertainment

Lions Gate

Momentum Pictures

Revolver

Network (Sound & Vision)

2K Games

Darker Enterprises

Harmony Video

Optimum Releasing

HiT Entertainment

ITV

Artificial Eye

2. Independent research indicates that 84% of adults (91% of parents) want to see BBFC classifications on downloadable / streaming films and other digital audiovisual content.

Public Enquiries:                              020 7440 1570

Press Enquiries Sue Clark:             020 7440 3285

Out of Hours Mobile:                       07946 423719

The BBFC has, after an appeal by the distributor of The King’s Speech against the original ‘15’ rating, applied its formal reconsideration process to the cinema release and classified it ‘12A’ with the Consumer Advice ‘Contains strong language in a speech therapy context’.

The BBFC’s language Guidelines for ‘12A’ state: ‘The use of strong language (for example f***) must be infrequent’.  In the case of The King’s Speech there are two isolated instances where the character of King George VI uses strong language several times at the instigation of his therapist during the speech therapy sessions he is undergoing to alleviate his stammer.  The strong language is not aggressive and not directed at any person.

The Guidelines state that ‘because works from time to time present issues in ways which cannot be anticipated, these criteria will not be applied in an over literal way if such an interpretation would lead to an outcome which would confound audience expectations’.  After careful consideration by the President and Director of the BBFC, the Board took the view that the way the strong language is presented in The King’s Speech did not contravene the language Guidelines at ‘12A’ and that the public would understand why the Board has reached this decision.

The remake of the 1978 ‘rape and revenge’ film, I Spit on Your Grave, has been cut by the BBFC to receive an ‘18’ cinema rating.  Cuts have been requested to A Serbian Film for DVD and Blu-ray release.

The original version of I Spit on Your Grave was at the centre of the concerns about children accessing violent and sexually violent videos and the unregulated availability of potentially obscene videos that led to the passing of the Video Recordings Act in 1984.  This remake, which has been submitted for cinema classification, broadly follows the plot of the original, telling the story of a young woman who is gang raped and who subsequently takes her revenge on the perpetrators.  While the rape sequence in the modern version places slightly less emphasis on the nudity of the victim than the original, there is more emphasis on threat and humiliation.  The modern version also has higher production values.  The Board has required a total of 17 cuts (amounting to 43 seconds of changes) to the rape sequence for breaches of the Board’s sexual violence policy. (The original remains cut, also for breaches to this policy.)

The BBFC has also required cuts to the DVD submission of A Serbian Film for an ‘18’ rating.  This Serbian language film with subtitles is about a former Serbian porn star, who is lured out of early retirement by an offer of money to participate in an ‘artistic’ porn film for the ‘foreign market’.  When he is forced to participate in abusive activities he tries to pull out but is drugged and is forced to continue with the filming.

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A year of declining submissions for cinema and DVD but increased online certification via the BBFC.online scheme is marked in the BBFC Annual Report for 2009, published today.

While the Board saw ‘traditional’ media submissions fall for the third year running, the voluntary classification scheme for video content being supplied by downloading and streaming continues to draw new content providers and suppliers*.  2009 was the first full calendar year of operation and saw online certificates reach over 8,000, covering film and television content.  The BBFC.online scheme was developed in the knowledge that the EU Audiovisual Services Directive would require  the UK to introduce,  by the end of 2009,  a form of statutory regulation for certain video-on- demand services operating from within the UK. This EU Directive requires all member states to introduce certain basic rules for video-on-demand services which offer ‘TV-like’ content to the public.

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The BBFC has rejected the sexually violent DVD, Lost in the Hood. This means that it cannot be legally supplied anywhere in the UK. The decision was taken by the Director, David Cooke and the Presidential Team of Sir Quentin Thomas, Alison Hastings and Gerard Lemos.

Lost in the Hood is a US sex work focussing exclusively on the abduction and rape of a number of men. In each scenario, the predatory male characters chose a victim who appears to have become ‘lost in the hood’ (ie a bad neighbourhood in the United States). They then abduct their chosen victim and force him to engage in sexual acts with them against his will. Each scene places a strong emphasis on the non consensual nature of the sex, with the victims pleading to be released, showing discomfort and making unsuccessful attempts to escape. Similarly, the perpetrators display a high level of physical and verbal aggression. By presenting the spectacle of sexual violence within the context of an explicit sex work, whose primary intention is to sexually arouse the viewer, Lost in the Hood has the effect of eroticising and endorsing sexual violence in a potentially harmful fashion.

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The BBFC has rejected the DVD Grotesque. This means that it cannot be legally supplied anywhere in the UK. The decision was taken by the Director, David Cooke and the Presidential Team of Sir Quentin Thomas, Alison Hastings and Gerard Lemos.

Grotesque is a feature that focuses for the majority of its running time on the sexual assault, humiliation and extreme torture of a male and female victim. The central character abducts, restrains, strips and masturbates both the man and the woman. After this he inflicts grave injuries on the restrained couple, including amputation, eye gouging, castration and evisceration. The torture becomes even more extreme, leading to the gory and violent death of both hostages. The film ends with the killer choosing his next victims.

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The views of over 8,700 people across the UK from the age of 16 upwards have formed the basis for the latest set of classification Guidelines published today by the BBFC.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said: “The BBFC is committed to consulting the public every four years to ensure that the Guidelines we use to classify all works which are submitted to us not only take account of relevant UK legislation, but accurately reflect public attitudes and concerns.

“You would not expect there to be a massive shift in attitudes since the 2005 Guidelines, and there is sometimes an assumption that public attitudes are becoming more relaxed as time goes on, but that is not always the case. A number of specific concerns which emerged from the extensive consultation exercise, involving over 8,700 people, as well as the members of our Advisory Panel on Children’s Viewing and other experts, have been incorporated in the Guidelines published today. The BBFC is an open and accountable organisation and in order to bring about even greater transparency we have, in this new version of the Guidelines, gone into greater detail on how, why and when we do what we do.

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“We have argued consistently that any games classification system needs to put child protection at its heart. It must involve consultation with the British public, command their trust, and reflect their sensibilities. It must take account of tone and context and be carried out by skilled and knowledgeable examiners. It needs to involve the provision of full, helpful and carefully weighed information to parents and the public more generally. It must have the power and will to reject or intervene in relation to unacceptable games or game elements. It should make a substantial contribution to media education, for example through dedicated websites and through work with pupils, students and teachers. It must be speedy and cost effective. It must have the capabilities to monitor online gameplay and to attract new members to online classification schemes. And it must be independent in substance as well as appearance, reaching its decisions and providing information on the basis of its own detailed assessments.

“The BBFC has always supported PEGI and wished it well, but it continues to believe that it satisfies these requirements better than PEGI. However, it will cooperate fully in the detailed work needed to give effect to the Government’s decision.”