Animated film certificate to raise ratings awareness
A new animated film certificate will be shown in cinema screens across the country to alert people to the importance of the ratings in protecting young people from harm.
With some of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year – Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, The Chronicles of Narnia and blockbuster King Kong -about to go on release, Justice Minister Michael McDowell said parents would benefit from the awareness campaign on film classifications.
As part of the film censor’s awareness campaign the modern animated film certificate, which was directed by Zachary Harpur and produced by Oscar-nominated Irish company Brown Bag Films, will replace the existing film censor certificate displayed in cinemas.
Mr McDowell said: “This should assist parents in making informed choices about their children’s viewing.
“The campaign and the information provided will also be very welcome to the cinema industry as it provides them with the means to simply and authoritatively inform their customers.”
The office of the film censor, John Kelleher, said one of the reasons the classifications were in place was to protect children and young persons from harm and encourage parental responsibility.
One of the highly anticipated films Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has been given a 12A rating from the film censor for the first time as it features the young sorcerer exploring an interest in the opposite sex for the first time.
Under the certificate, this means children younger than 12 can only see the latest JK Rowling offering if they are accompanied by an adult.
The campaign will also involve distributing a million wallet-sized booklets on film classifications to the cinema-going public.
The minister said the campaign and the film censor’s work on film classification was coming against a background of growing activity, with the number of films and DVDs certified continuing to increase.
Dani McClafferty, an assistant censor at the Irish Film Censors Office (IFCO), was appointed as a cinema liaison officer to ensure frequent contact with cinema managers all over Ireland and the cinema-going public.
Displays in all cinema foyers and at ticket desks will include specially designed posters and stickers explaining the IFCO certificates and the information available on the website.
