2) What case studies (key films or events) have caused these changes at the BBFC?
3) What the key pieces of legislation are that govern how the BBFC works as a regulator.
4) How the BBFC is different today than it was at other times in it's history.
5) How does the BBFC classify and rate films today? (What are the certificates and what is allowed in each)
6) What challenges the BBFC has going forwards, how it's role has changed?
The British Board of Film Censorship (BBFC) was founded in 1912 as a trade body, administered by the Kinematograph Manufacturers Association, itself formed in 1911, to avert threats of statutory censorship. Over the years the BBFC role has changed as it used to be 'The British Board of Film Censorship' to 'The British Board of Film Classifications' in the 1980s. This shows hows their role changed as they're not a fatherly operation but whereas now they take the view of society in rating films. The BBFC is a trusted guide to media content. Working as an independent, self-financing and not-for-profit media content regulator, the BBFC operates transparent, consistent and trusted co-regulatory and self-regulatory classification and labelling systems in the UK.
The BBFC's mission:
- protect the public, and especially children, from content which might raise harm risks
- empower the public, especially parents, to make informed viewing choices
- recognise and respect adult freedom of choice within the law
- respond to and reflect changing social attitudes towards media content through proactive public consultation and research
- provide a cost-effective, efficient classification service within our statutory remit
- work in partnership with the industry to develop innovative service models to provide content advice which support emerging media delivery systems
- provide an effective service to enforcement agencies
