The British Columbia Film Classification Office, part of Consumer Protection BC (legally known as the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority) in the Canadian province of British Columbia, is responsible for rating and censoring films under the province's Motion Picture Act. The BCFCO film ratings are also used by Manitoba and Saskatchewan by bilateral agreement.

Rating system

Since January 1, 1997, the BCFCO has used the following motion picture rating system, based on the Canadian Home Video Rating System, for theatrical releases:

  • General. Suitable for viewing by persons of all ages. Occasional violence, swearing and coarse language, and the most innocent of sexually suggestive scenes and nudity, are permitted in this category. According to the Manitoba Film Classification Board (which now uses the same ratings as British Columbia), this rating is similar to the MPAA's G rating used in the United States and the Australian Classification Board's G Rating.
  • Parental Guidance. Parental guidance advised. Theme or content may not be suitable for all children although there is no age restriction. Motion pictures in this category may contain less subtle sexually suggestive scenes and nudity and a more realistic portrayal of violence than in the General category; coarse language may occur more often than in the General category. This rating is also similar to the similarly-named MPAA rating and Australian Classification Board rating. (formerly Mature) The symbol was trademarked in 1965 and soon became identified with the movie-going experience, as an animated "Restricted Cougar" trailer typically preceded any film bearing the Restricted rating; according to the BCFCO, "the trailers also added a new excitement to the movie-going experience: when the Cougar made its way to the screen, audiences knew they were only moments away from the highly anticipated feature presentation."

The use of the symbol was discontinued with the adoption of the 18A rating in 1997, although the symbol itself remains a provincial trademark. In 2011, Consumer Protection BC made digital versions of several of the trailers available for viewing on YouTube. tags, and the template below.

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