bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

A REVAMP of the film classification system will see Category II movies carry new warnings designed to help parents choose films for children.

  Category II movies - which now carry the warning 'not suitable for children' - will be split into two sub-categories, under proposed changes to film censorship laws announced yesterday.

  The first sub-category will carry the warning 'not suitable for children below 12 and for which parental guidance is recommended' and the second 'not suitable for persons below 18'.

  But the proposals were opposed by the film industry which said movies should instead carry a warning about what kind of material was in them.

  The Assistant Commissioner of Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA), Ng Hon-wah, said the planned changes would enable parents to choose films for their children.

  'The findings of a TELA survey in early 1994 showed the general public wanted to have further information relating to certain films, in particular Category II films.

  'After Jurassic Park was shown in Hong Kong there were complaints about certain scary scenes, so by reclassifying Category II parents should know in advance that certain frightening scenes are not suitable for young kids,' said Mr Ng.

  Films which would have been deemed unsuitable for the under-12s had the new system been introduced would include Forrest Gump, Sommersby, I Have a Date with Spring, and Drunken Master II.

  Schindler's List, Cliffhanger and True Lies would have been classed as not suitable for people under 18, said Mr Ng.

  Peter Tsi Ka-kei, chief executive of the Hong Kong, Kowloon & New Territories Motion Picture Association, criticised the proposal, saying it was 'impossible' to gauge which films were unsuitable for the under-12s.

  The association has been lobbying for descriptive warnings on Category II films to help parents make decisions.

  'It is hard to say whether a film like Jurassic Park is unsuitable for kids, because it's subjective. But we know certain movies will contain violent scenes, nudity or coarse language - so why not put such consumer advice warnings saying the film depicts certain scenes,' he said.

  'That way it should be obvious enough for parents to make the decision whether to take their kids to the cinemas - let the parents decide and not the censors,' said Mr Tsi.

  Mr Ng said the association's proposal had been discussed, but rejected on the grounds that descriptive warnings could be used by unscrupulous film producers to promote their films. The proposal will in effect create a four-tier film classification system.

  However, Category II remains an advisory category because the warnings are not compulsory.

  Under the proposal, the Category II symbol on posters will be accompanied by the figure 12 or 18, depending on the sub-category.

  Category III for the over-18s is the only mandatory age-restrictive category. Category I films are open to everyone.

  The proposed laws also include measures to implement an across-the-board restriction on all Category III film advertising materials.

   Materials including posters of the films will be required to be submitted to TELA for approval before they can be distributed, circulated or displayed. Offenders face fines of up to $20,000 and one year's imprisonment.



Films to carry new warnings