Film Classification System in Hong Kong
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Film Industry
Hong Kong is a major film production centre. During the year, a total of 79 films produced in Hong Kong were released. Action films, romance and comedies were the main genres. In 2003, there were 57 cinemas (with 188 screens) compared with 61 cinemas (with 184 screens) in 2002. The box-office hits of the year included Finding Nemo ($31.89 million), Twins Effect ($28.42 million) and Infernal Affairs III ($28.04 million)3. Film Classification System Hong Kong has a three-tier film classification system: Category I (suitable for all ages); Category II, which is subdivided into Category IIA (not suitable for children) and Category IIB (not suitable for young persons and children); and Category III (for persons aged 18 and above only). The objective is to allow adults wide access to films while protecting persons under the age of 18 from exposure to potentially harmful material. Category IIA and IIB classifications are advisory (no statutory age restriction is imposed) and are intended to give more information to movie-goers, parents in particular, to help them select films for themselves or their children. Age restriction is mandatory for Category III films. During the year, 1 555 films were submitted for classification, compared with 1 944 films in 2002. Of these, 689 were classified Category I (12 with excisions), 362 Category IIA (none with excisions), 335 Category IIB (eight with excisions), and 169 Category III (21 with excisions). Film trailers, instructional films and cultural films intended for public exhibition also require censorship but do not need to be classified into any category. During the year, 3 309 such items were approved for exhibition. Film classification standards are kept in line with society's standards by regular surveys of community views and consultation with a statutory panel of advisers, comprising about 250 members drawn from a wide cross-section of the population. A public opinion survey on the film classification system conducted in 2002 showed that the vast majority (97 per cent) of the public considered the current film classification standards acceptable. Decisions on film classifications may be reviewed by the Board of Review (Film Censorship), a statutory body established under the Film Censorship Ordinance. The board comprises nine non-official members appointed by the Chief Executive, with the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology as an ex officio member. There was one case of reviewing the censor's decisions in 2003. Government Support The Government is committed to providing a favourable environment conducive to the healthy and long-term development of the film industry in Hong Kong. The Film Services Advisory Committee was established in May 1998 to provide a conduit for dialogue between the industry and the Government and to advise on the work of the Film Services Office, set up under the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority, which facilitates film production in Hong Kong and promotes Hong Kong films locally and abroad. The committee is appointed by the Chief Executive and comprises the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology who is the chairman, four representatives from the Government and public bodies and nine non-official members. Since its establishment in April 1998, the Film Services Office has obtained the agreement of over 1 130 organisations, including government departments, to let their premises for location filming and has published reference materials in this regard for the industry. To facilitate film production in Hong Kong, the office provides one-stop service to the film industry on location filming requests of a more complicated nature. During the year, it dealt with 463 such requests, with a 99 per cent success rate. To assist the film industry in applying for lane closures for location filming purposes, the Film Services Office, in consultation with the Police Force, Transport Department and Highways Department, promulgated a set of guidelines in March 2001. Under this mechanism, the office is responsible for coordinating the processing of such applications by other departments; 102 applications for lane closures were approved in 2003. To promote Hong Kong films internationally, the Film Services Office facilitated the organisation of Hong Kong Film Festivals in Antwerp, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Washington DC and Seoul. The Film Services Office also promoted Hong Kong as a choice for location filming at the global expositions 'Locations 2003' and 'Busan International Film Commission & Industry Showcase'. During the year, 157 overseas crews, including the production team of the Hollywood film Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, carried out location filming in Hong Kong. The Film Development Fund, which was established in 1999, provides financial support to a wide variety of projects that can enhance the professional and technological capabilities of the film industry so as to strengthen its competitiveness. By year-end, a total of $47 million had been approved for 68 projects to promote the development of the local film industry. They included training courses, workshops, seminars, consultancy studies, surveys, film awards presentation ceremonies, overseas promotional projects as well as sponsorship for Hong Kong films' participation in overseas film festivals. The $50 million Film Guarantee Fund was established in April 2003 on a pilot basis for two years. It seeks to assist local film production companies to obtain loans from local lending institutions for film production. It also serves to stimulate the establishment of a film financing infrastructure in Hong Kong. The fund provided loan guarantees for four film projects and the total amount guaranteed was $8.63 million. With the commencement of the Entertainment Special Effects Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation on March 16, 2001, a streamlined regulatory system is now in place to facilitate the use of pyrotechnic materials for producing special effects for films, television and theatrical productions. Under this legislation, the Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing is the Entertainment Special Effects Licensing Authority responsible for licensing special effects operators; issuing discharge permits; registering and regulating the supply, conveyance and storage of pyrotechnic special effects materials. In 2003, the Authority processed a total of 1 192 applications, representing an increase of 42 per cent and 73 per cent over 2002 and 2001, respectively. This indicates that the regulatory system has been well received and utilised by the industry. 3 Box office up to December 31, 2003
Save the young souls
N ew development in technol- ogy is probably deemed as novelty. However, new classi- fication for film censorship may be regarded as triviality. Since 17 November 1995, the existing three-tier classification system has experienced a new change under the supervision of Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority. The major change is that Category II is now further subdivided into Category IIA and IIB. Under the new system, no changes will be made for films of Category I and III. As usual, Category I film is suitable for all ages and Category III film is only for people aged 18 or above. Now, Category IIA film is not suitable for children and IIB film is not suitable for young people and children. The TELA had consulted Industry Association, Hong Kong Theatre Association, Hong Kong Director Association, Movie Picture Distributor Association, Movie Picture Industry Association and Hong Kong Video Industry Association for the change. According to the Hong Kong Director Association, two consultation meetings were held. The Director Association disagreed with the TELA’s first suggestion of restricting children of 15-year-old or below from watching Category II films. Later, the TELA proposed another policy by subdividing Category II films into IIA and IIB. Without much opposition, the new policy was passed and came into enactment. According to Mr. W.Y. Wan, the executive officer of film section of the TELA, the new classification is the result of a public opinion survey completed in 1994. Said he: “Our chief aim is to provide parents and teenagers with more guidance and information of a film, so that they can know the extent of violence, horror, sexuality or indecent language in a particular film. “The former classification didn’t provide a clear picture of Category II films. Viewers only know that they are not suitable for children. But the definition of ‘children’ is not clear and the boundary for Category II is too large. That’s the reason why we want to refine the old system.” Mr. Wan said that the catalyst for the change of the classification can be traced back to the Jurassic Park. Many parents brought their children to see this movie, but many children got frightened after seeing it. This reminded the government to set up new regulations. Category I and II are advisory in nature. Only Category III is strictly and legally enforced. There is no monitoring or law-enforcing unit to check the age of audience when they watch Category II films. Mr. Wan saw it as an advantage of high flexibility of the classification. He emphasized that the new system would minimize the restriction on the freedom in selecting films of audience. However, without straight rules or punishment from government, the new classification is merely a poster warning. Its effectiveness totally depends on the self-discipline of movie-goers. Mr. Chiu Wai Kin, a film critics, said, “The new system makes me even more confusing. I think that the TELA should specify the exact age to see IIA and IIB films if they want the policy work.” Indeed, the film classification has always been regarded as too ambiguous to inhibit the unqualified viewers from seeing Category III films. Although the new Film Censorship Ordinance also restricted the unqualified viewers to rent prohibited home videos and laser discs, it is not strictly implemented. According to Dr. Wai Chan, a lecturer of the department of psychology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, most youngsters are immature under the spoon-feeding education system in Hong Kong. Youngsters may not have the ability to choose films suitable for themselves. Many research about movies’ influence on children and teenagers were done and psychologists agree that there is a positive relationship between watching violent films and violent behaviour. Said Dr. Chan: “Young children tend to copy the actions and images of films. “Experiments show that they will become more emotional and violent after watching violent films,” he said. However, Dr. Chan said, film directors held a different view. They agree that films have some influence on children, but emphasize that the influences of television programmes, magazines and advertisements are much greater than that of films. Undoubtedly, the government has the responsibility to keep an eye on the production of films so as to safeguard the interests of children and teenagers, but this brings great pressure and dissatisfaction for the film-making industry. Both Dr. Chan and Mr. Chiu thought that the new classification is meaningless and useless. They prefer a much more liberal four-category film classification to this system and concluded that the film censorship in Hong Kong is “over-conservative” and “restricted”. Dr. Chan said that members of the United States censorship board are comprised of media workers and film industry professionals. However, members of the censorship unit in Hong Kong are chosen by the Governor or through voting system. Thus, the Commissioner of TELA may have no knowledge of the film industry. “The TELA should include educational professionals and media workers in the censorship unit so as to make fair judgement. It should not be dominated by a small group of people. “Films always become the scapegoat. Other forms of medium are not tested or censored before they are released or published. It’s very unfair to us. “Only an objective and reasonable film censorship system is acceptable to film-makers and film-producers,” Mr. Chan con
Film Censorship
The Film Censorship Ordinance (Cap. 392) was enacted in 1988. Since then, a three-tier film classification system has been introduced. Category I – suitable for all ages, Category IIA – not suitable for children, Category IIB – not suitable for young persons and children, and Category III – for persons aged 18 or above only. Categories I, IIA and IIB are advisory in nature, the age restriction for Category III films is strictly enforced. Films intended for public exhibition must be approved by the Director of Film, Newspaper and Article Administration, who is the Film Censorship Authority under the Ordinance. Advertising materials of films classified as Category III and packaging of the videotapes and video discs of such films must also be approved by the Film Censorship Authority before they can be published or publicly displayed.
Knowledge Graph
Examples
1 This database includes all films intended for commercial release that have been classified by the Film Censorship Authority since 2004.
2 Hong Kong has a film classification system under which films are classified into one of the following categories
3 The Film Censorship Ordinance (the Ordinance) was enacted in 1988. Since then, a three-tier film classification system has been adopted.