Hong Kong motion picture rating system

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Hong Kong motion picture rating system" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

A movie ticket in Hong Kong indicating the rating of King Kong.

The Hong Kong motion picture rating system (Chinese: 香港電影分級制度; Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2 din6 jing2 fan1 kap1 zai3 dou6) is a legal system of movie screening and rating. An official government agency issues ratings for any movie that will be shown in Hong Kong cinemas.

## History

[edit]

In 1986, with the release of John Woo's violent gangster movie A Better Tomorrow (later rated IIB), the general public became concerned about the influence films had on children. As a result, the Hong Kong motion picture rating system was established under the Movie Screening Ordinance Cap.392 on 10 November 1988.[1] The purpose behind the law was to provide parents of minors a chance to prevent their children from being exposed to inappropriate materials, as well as to allow people to watch movies with content aimed towards adults.[1][2][3]

The ratings were previously issued by the Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration,[citation needed] and initially provided three levels of ratings, which led the slang term "three-tier ratings" (三級制) to popular usage.

In 1995, the ratings were amended, creating three levels of main ratings, and two sub-ratings for one level.[1][2]

The Hong Kong government revisioned the Film Censorship Ordinance guidelines for censors on 11 June 2021. The new guidelines stipulate that if the content of a film to be shown violates the Hong Kong national security law, the censor shall conclude that the film is not suitable for exhibition.[citation needed]

## Legal requirements

[edit]

According to the laws of Hong Kong, any movies that are intended to be shown in Hong Kong cinemas or released to the public via any videotape or disc formats must be screened by the Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration. The Office will then permit the movie to be released under their assessed level rating. Movie trailers intended to be shown inside the cinema hall or in cinema lobbies must also be submitted for classification. Only still films exhibited for non-commercial purposes (cultural, educational, instructional, promotional or religious) are exempt.[1][2]

If a movie is rated as a Third Level film (三級片), its promotional materials must also be screened by the Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration.[1][2] In addition, any videotape or discs that will be sold must be sealed by plastic bagging before it can be sold.[citation needed]

The Board of Review consists of ten members and nine other persons who are not public officers. Members act as "censors" and review submitted films for classification. Film distributors or any person who disagrees with the censors may request the Board to review that decision.[3]

Under the Film Censorship Ordinance, the Film Censorship Authority may appoint persons to be film censorship advisers as needed, usually for a one-year term. Once every two weeks, panel members are invited to preview films along with the censors and provide their views on film classification. The panel of advisers currently has 300 members, including teachers, social workers, professionals, housewives, and college students.[3]

## Ratings system

[edit]

[2][3]

Image

| Text

|

Level I |

Category I: Suitable for All Ages
All ages admitted.
Level II |

Category II: Not Suitable for Children (pre-1995 legacy rating)
The Government suggests parental guidance when watching the film. This rating is now divided into levels  and .
Level II-A |

Category IIA: Not Suitable for Children
The Government advises parents that some content may be inappropriate for children. Parental Guidance is advised.
Level II-B |

Category IIB: Not Suitable for Young Persons and Children
The Government strongly advises parental guidance when watching the film for young persons and children.
Level III |

Category III: Persons Aged 18 and Above Only
No one younger than eighteen years of age are permitted to rent, purchase, or watch this film in a movie theatre (list of films).

Of the four categories, Category I, IIA, and IIB are advisory ratings only, and carry no legal effect. Only Category III forbids a certain portion of the population from watching the film. Ticket sellers in movie theatres have a legal right to check the identity of a person who wishes to watch a Level III film to ensure legal compliance.[1][2][3]

## Surveys

[edit]

Every two years, TELA commissions an independent research company to conduct a large-scale survey to collect the public's views on the film classification system and the film classification standards. In 2000, a survey was conducted on 617 members of the public, aged 13 to 59 years old. In addition, supplementary surveys were conducted on 108 members on the panel of advisers and 472 moviegoers. The survey findings were that almost all respondents were aware the classification system was in place, and 59% could identify the current system, as well as its symbols and their meanings.[3]

Findings of a survey conducted from 2010 to 2011 revealed that there is general community support of the existing film classification system and its standards.[2]

## See also

[edit]

* List of Hong Kong Category III films

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f "HK film classification system". baike.soso.com. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
2. ^ a b c d e f g "[Hong Kong] Film Censorship Policy". Government of Hong Kong. 6 January 2014. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
3. ^ a b c d e f "Hong Kong's film classification system" (PDF). Government of Hong Kong. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 July 2003. Retrieved 6 January 2014.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Sévéon, Julien (2008). Catégorie III : sexe, sang et politique à Hong Kong (in French). Paris: Bazaar & Co. ISBN 978-2-917339-03-9.

## External links

[edit]

* Comparison of Film Ratings between Hong Kong and Other Countries (HK Government) (pdf)
* Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration Film Search

* v
* t
* e

Motion picture content rating systems

Active|

* ACB (Australia)
* BBFC (UK)
* Canadian motion picture rating system
* British Columbia Film Classification Office
* CHVRS
* Maritime Film Classification Board
* Saskatchewan Film and Video Classification Board
* CBFC (Pakistan)
* CBFC (India)
* Classification Office (New Zealand)
* ClassInd (Brazil)
* Derzhkino (Ukraine)
* Eirin (Japan)
* FAB (United States)
* FBP (South Africa)
* FSK (Germany)
* Gmedia (Saudi Arabia)
* Hong Kong motion picture rating system
* IFCO (Ireland)
* IGAC (Portugal)
* IMDA (Singapore)
* INCAA (Argentina)
* KAVI (Finland)
* KFCB (Kenya)
* KMRB (South Korea)
* LPF (Malaysia)
* LSF (Indonesia)
* Kijkwijzer (Netherlands)
* Medietilsynet (Norway)
* MPA (US)
* MTRCB (Philippines)
* NBC (Maldives)
* On Protecting Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development (Russia)
* RTC (Mexico)

Former/Defunct|

* Manitoba Film Classification Board (Canada)
* Ontario Film Review Board (Canada)
* Régie du cinéma (Canada)
* VET (Finland)

Related|

* Film censorship
* Hays Code
* List of banned films
* National Legion of Decency
* Payne Fund Studies
* Pink permits

Category · Television content rating systems template · Video game content rating systems template

* v
* t
* e

Pornography legality

Laws|

* Adult film industry regulations
* Legal objections to pornography in the United States

| Africa|

* Nigeria
* South Africa

|

Americas|

* Brazil
* Chile
* Canada
* Colombia
* Jamaica
* Mexico

| US|

* Antipornography Civil Rights Ordinance
* Child Online Protection Act
* Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act
* Custodian of Records
* Child Protection Restoration and Penalties Enhancement Act of 1990
* Communications Decency Act
* Pornography Victims Compensation Act

|

Asia|

* China
* India
* Indonesia
* Hong Kong
* Kazakhstan
* Japan
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Singapore
* South Korea
* Taiwan
* Thailand
* Turkey
* United Arab Emirates

Europe|

* Bulgaria
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Russia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Ukraine

| UK|

* Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2014
* British Board of Film Classification
* Committee on Obscenity and Film Censorship
* Obscene Publications Act 1959
* Possession of Extreme Pornographic Images
* Video Recordings Act 2010

|

Oceania|

* Australia
* New Zealand

Cases|

* American Booksellers v. Hudnut
* California v. Freeman
* Jacobellis v. Ohio
* Miller v. California
* R v Butler
* R v Glad Day Bookshops Inc
* R v Peacock
* Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union
* Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc.
* Stanley v. Georgia
* United States v. Extreme Associates
* United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group

Other|

* Meese Report
* President's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography

Child
pornography
laws

| By country|

* Australia
* Canada
* India
* Japan
* Netherlands
* Philippines
* Portugal
* United Kingdom
* United States
* Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996
* New York v. Ferber
* Osborne v. Ohio
* PROTECT Act of 2003
* United States v. Williams

|

Other|

* COPINE scale
* Debate regarding child pornography laws
* Dost test
* Legal status of drawn pornography depicting minors
* Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography
* United States v. X-Citement Video, Inc.

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template