About unrestricted films
An unrestricted classification on a film means that anyone can see it. The way an unrestricted classification or rating is assigned is different from the way restricted classifications are given.
Watch former Chief Censor Bill Hastings explain what the unrestricted classifications mean (1:35)
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If you decide to make this film unrestricted, it means you've decided that it's not likely to injure the public good if anyone sees this film.
You can have M, PG, or G. The M is yellow – sort of like caution. You can see this is like a traffic light – except for those of you who are colour blind it's upside down, because the green is at the top. Some people are colour blind. M, yellow, means suitable for mature audiences 16 years of age and over but not restricted to them. Anyone can legally see an M film, but if you make it M you're recommending that the person be 16 years of age and over. But they don't have to be. Legally anyone can see an M film.
PG – again it's yellow. It's just a kind of warning to parents to find out a little bit more about the film because there might be something in it you don't want Junior seeing.
And G, green, full speed ahead. There should be nothing in a G film that should cause anyone any concern if anyone sees it.
-Former Chief Censor Bill Hastings
The Film and Video Labelling Body rates unrestricted films
Rated films are unrestricted films (G, PG and M) which are seen by the Film and Video Labelling Body. This is an industry organisation which the government uses to rate unrestricted films. They are also the organisation responsible for issuing all official New Zealand classification labels for films.
The Labelling Body also approves advertising material for films such as posters and DVD covers (slicks). If the Labelling Body thinks any advertising material may need to be restricted or have display conditions imposed on it, it must submit it to the Office of Film and Literature Classification.
Watch former Chief Censor Bill Hastings explain the cross-rating process (1:00)
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Read a transcript of this video
With respect to films, we actually don't do most films either because elsewhere in the Act it sets up a cross-rating system, which means that any film that's had a G, a PG or an M assigned to it by Australia, or the equivalent in the United Kingdom, gets to come into New Zealand and goes not to my office, but to this body called the Film and Video Labelling Body, which, unlike my office, is actually a very well named body.
So what they do is if a DVD comes in from Australia with an Australian M label on it, they will say, Oh look! There's an Australian M label. They'll go over and peel off a New Zealand M label and they'll stick it on top of the Australian M label, and then it goes straight to the shops. It never comes to my office. And that's 85% of the market. So we only see the top end really, the red-labelled stuff. When it comes to films – most of them are cross-rated.
- Former Chief Censor Bill Hastings
The classification process for an unrestricted film
When a film is submitted to the Labelling Body, it goes though the following steps to decide how the film is to be rated or if it requires classification.
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Has the identical film (including any trailers on the film if it is in DVD format) been classified in New Zealand? If it has, the Labelling Body issues the appropriate label for the film.
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Has the identical film previously been classified as unrestricted in Australia or the United Kingdom (with the Australian decision being chosen over the UK one)? If it has, the Labelling Body must rate the film with the New Zealand equivalent of the overseas unrestricted rating and descriptive note. This means if a film is 'PG: contains mild violence' in Australia, it will be 'PG: contains low level violence' in New Zealand. This process is called cross-rating.
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Has the identical film previously been classified as restricted in Australia or the United Kingdom (with the Australian decision taking precedence over the UK one)? If it has, the Labelling Body must submit the film to the Office of Film and Literature Classification for consideration under the criteria in the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993.
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Is the (previously unclassified) film at an unrestricted level? If the Labelling Body does not think it needs to be restricted (or banned) in New Zealand, they can rate the film with a G, PG or M.
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Is the (previously unclassified) film likely to require restriction or is it likely to be objectionable (banned)? If it is, the Labelling Body must submit the film to the Office of Film and Literature Classification for consideration under the criteria in the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993. They can also submit it if they are unable to agree on a unrestricted rating for the film.
You can see the classification process in flowchart form
Once a rating is assigned a classification label is issued
Once a film is rated by the Labelling Body or classified by the Classification Office, the Labelling Body issues a label for it (and for any other identical copies of the film). It also issues labels for advertising, eg, posters.
When a film has been classified or rated, all advertising (including advertising on TV and radio) must give the rating/classification information for the film.
Glossary:
- Cross-rating = A system of rating unrestricted films where the unrestricted classification from Australia or the UK is given to unrestricted (G, PG, or M) films in New Zealand
- Rating = a consumer advice statement given for films and DVDs by the Film and Video Labelling Body: G, PG, or M. Ratings can be overturned by classification decisions from the Office of Film and Litearture Classification
- Classification = A legal statement about who can have accss to a publication. A classification can make a publication unrestricted (G, PG, M), restricted (RP or R), or objectionable (banned)
