ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

6 years, 9 months ago - Chris Chandler

BBFC certification is technically not a legal requirement - it all comes down to the individual venue: mostly for public screenings cinemas will require BBFC certification for convenience. For a private screening there is no requirement at all - as long as the venue is happy with that. Very few festivals require certification either as a condition of entry or screening.

6 years, 9 months ago - Alwyne Kennedy

Thank you, Chris.

Armed with that info, particularly regarding festivals, I think I'll hold fire on paying for a BBFC rating.

Assuming Ourscreen will never respond to my simple enquiry, I'll now see about screening my film privately elsewhere.

6 years, 9 months ago - Glyn Carter

Any venue doing a ticketed film screening needs to be licenced by the local authority to show films. (There's an exception if the screening is not for profit and in a community venue). This is something to sort out with the venue - they'll know what they're licenced for, and how to get temporary licences if required.

In addition, local authorities are responsible for ensuring indecent films are not shown to the public. Normally they accept the BBFC classification as satisfying their criteria, but they have the power to ignore the BBFC's ratings - hence those local bans on some controversial films like The Devils, The Exorcist, Straw Dogs, Life of Brian, and Crash. Councils can vary the PG/12A/PG thresholds, and have the power to go the other way, authorising films that the BBFC have not given a certificate to. I think that happened with one version of Empire of the The Senses. It would be up to the venue or promoter to negotiate this loosening.

The legislation doesn't distinguish between shorts and features - so strictly speaking, shorts without a BBFC certificate should have their own approval by the local council. But in practice a blind eye is turned, because council licencing officers have no time or interest in viewing films. And councillors (if asked) wouldn't normally want to put obstacles in the way of a local festival which brings in visitors. As long as no-one complains, this very English approach works.

Regular cinema venues may be nervous of a controversy over a small film threatening their wider licence, and they'll probably have a clear policy in place. But for one-off events, people normally let sleeping dogs lie. One precaution, though, would be to screen anything too "adult" after 9pm, with appropriate warnings in the programme and outside the auditorium.

Any experiences from fetival organisers?

6 years, 9 months ago - Alwyne Kennedy

Thanks, Glyn. All useful to know.

On the subject of local authorities banning films, I recall Richmond (the N. Yorkshire one) banning Carrie, which would have been in 1976, when I was 15. My older brother was outraged enough to protest in the Northern Echo.

6 years, 9 months ago - Alwyne Kennedy

For anyone who may be interested, ourscreen finally got back to me and said that they require even privately screened films to have a BBFC rating.

6 years, 9 months ago - Vasco de Sousa

I think it's a quality thing. They don't want homemade films.

Maybe your film is the exception, but I'm sure they don't have time to deal with all the exceptions.

Most films without BBFC ratings would get a U rating if they applied. They just aren't commercial, so it's not worth the expense. Wedding videos and student films don't get BBFC ratings. Festivals will often get a rating for a group of short films.

6 years, 9 months ago - David Lane

Hi, I have spoken with OurScreen last year about running my own documentary with them. During a phone call, the guy said depending on where you are, some cinemas like Vue in my hometown (Gateshead) can accept a temporary council license. Maybe useful to know that. As people have said though, it's something that is determined by the venue. Also worth noting if the council ok it, it's free! Good luck with it