Information for teachers and parents

In New Zealand films are classified in accordance with the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993.  Depending on the nature of a film it can be classified as unrestricted, restricted, or objectionable (banned). 

Anyone of any age can see a film which is unrestricted. Urestricted films are given ratings as a way of indicating the kind of audience they are recommended for.  The ratings used in New Zealand are as follows:

·        G – suitable for general audiences

·        PG – parental guidance recommended for younger viewers

·        M – suitable for mature audiences 16 and over

The Classification Office will restrict a film when it believes that making it available to everyone will be injurious to the public good.  To be restricted a film must deal with matters such as sex, horror, crime, cruelty or violence.  The most common restrictions are R13, R16, and R18.  When an age restriction is used it is because the Classification Office has decided that showing the film to someone under that age will be injurious to the public good.  In the case of a violent film, for example, this could be because a younger person might find the images disturbing, or might not be able to put the violence into context. 

Restrictions mean that only those who are over the age of the restriction can be shown the film. This is a legal requirement, and schools could be prosecuted if it is breached.

What does the Classification Office hope to achieve by restricting films?

The Classification Office can only classify a film as restricted or objectionable if it thinks that making the publication available to everyone would be harmful.  Restrictions are intended to stop some people from being able to see a film.  They are intended to protect people from harm or to prevent them from harming others.

What is the difference between M and R16?

The most confusing part of the labelling system for many parents and teachers is the rating M. While this rating means that the film is unrestricted, it recommends that the film is more suitable for people over 16. This is not a restriction - strictly speaking a teacher could show a film with this rating to a class of 10-year-olds.

R16 is a legal restriction. Any teacher showing a restricted film to students under the age of 16, with or without parental consent, could face fines of up to $10,000 or be imprisoned for up to three months. The school could also be considered liable, in which case the fines could be up to $25,000.

However, the Office regularly receives complaints from parents after teachers show M-rated films to classes of older high school students. For this reason, we recommend that teachers use permission forms for M-rated and R16 films. A model is provided here. The Office cannot do anything about schools showing M films to students, and parents should take any complaints to the school's Board of Trustees.

Updated 18.7.2006