The Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO) () is the organisation responsible for films, television programmes, and some video game classification and censorship within Ireland. Where restrictions are placed by the IFCO, they are legally binding.
Prior to 21 July 2008, the office was branded as the Irish Film Censor's Office, and was previously known as simply the Film Censor's Office, or, in legal references, the office of the Official Censor of Films, which was the official title of the head of the office prior to that date. The head of the office is the Director of Film Classification.
Background
thumb|1965 [[Cover (philately)|envelope sent to local office of 20th Century Fox with certifying cachet of the Film Censor's Office]]
The Irish Film Censor's Office was set up in 1923, under the Censorship of Films Act 1923. This law was amended in 1925, 1930, 1970, and 1992; and a substantial revision of the law occurred in the Video Recordings Act, 1989 which extended the remit of the office to the regulation of the video importation and supply industry. On 21 July 2008 the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008 came into force. Section 70 changes some of the provisions with regard censorship of films in the State. Section 71 renames the Film Censor as the Director of Film Classification and consequent to this, the Irish Film Censor's Office became the Irish Film Classification Office.
Staff
The office consists of 21 staff members:
- Acting Director of Film Classification – George Sinclair
- Deputy Director – Vacant
- 10 Assistant Classifiers
- Office Manager
- 6 Civil Servants from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
- 2 Projectionists
The 10 assistant classifiers are paid €168 per day and are entitled to claim expenses on top of this. According to a freedom of information request granted to the Irish edition of the Sunday Times the assistant classifiers claimed €306,683 in fees and €52,569 of expenses in 2007; €339,608 in fees and €49,898 of expenses in 2008; and €162,263 in fees and €21,401 of expenses for the first half of 2009. This equates to a payment of approximately €60 per film rated.
Certificates
Introduction and early history
Before 1965, there were no certificates and all films were tailored for a general audience, resulting in several bans and cuts (no doubt also due to extremely conservative societal standards). As of 2004, 2,500 theatrical films had been banned and about 11,000 cut, largely from before the overhaul.
Public controversy over the office's harsh methods came to a head in late 1964 – in 1963 alone, 31 films were rejected and 156 were cut. Critically acclaimed hits were no exception – Dr. Strangelove was cut, including Ripper's reference to Communists trying to "sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids" with fluoridated water, and Irish-shot medical drama Of Human Bondage was banned due to the heroine dying of syphilis. Even after the ban was overturned the following year, it still received an over-18's certificate with cuts – nude sculptures made by Auguste Rodin were removed from the background of the title sequence.
In 1964, Brian Lenihan, the newly appointed Minister for Justice, met with the Cinema and Theatre Association in November to consider their views and even proposed to view recently banned films, including Of Human Bondage. On 28 November, Lenihan announced he'd be appointing a new Film Appeals Board and would be able to reform censorship without changing existing legislation Their main task was to begin enforcing limited certificates (alongside the general certificate). which were as follows, according to the Appeals Board chairman:
- Over 16
- Over 18
- Young persons under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult
- Educational
In addition, Over-21s certificates were awarded to four films, including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,
Cinematic certificates
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thumb|right|An official cinema certificate from 1999, which directly preceded the film.
The current cinematic certificates were announced in December 2004 at the European Conference of Film Classifiers in Paris and introduced on 1 January 2005. In November 2005, a public campaign was launched to raise awareness of them, including booklets, posters, stickers and an animated certificate produced by Brown Bag Films which drew attention to their relatively new website.
- G – General: Suitable for all
- PG – Parental Guidance: Suitable for children aged eight and older; parents are advised to accompany younger children.
- 12A – Minimum age for admission is 12, but younger children can be admitted if accompanied by an adult (12PG between 1 June 2001 – 1 January 2005).
- 15A – Minimum age for admission is 15, but younger children can be admitted if accompanied by an adult (15PG between 1 June 2001 – 1 January 2005).
- 16 – Minimum age for admission is 16; younger viewers will not be admitted under any circumstance (introduced on 1 January 2005).
- 18 – Minimum age for admission is 18; younger viewers will not be admitted under any circumstance.
{| style="margin:1em auto 1em auto"
|-
| 80px || 80px || 80px || 80px || 80px || 80px
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{| style="margin:1em auto 1em auto"
| 80px|The former 12PG certificate retired by the IFCO in 2005. || 80px|The former 15PG certificate retired by the IFCO in 2005.
|}
Home video certificates
These were introduced on 1 September 1994:
- G – Fit for viewing by persons generally
- 12RA – Fit for viewing by persons generally, but in the case of a child under 12 years, only in the company of a responsible adult.
- 15 – Fit for viewing by persons aged 15 or more.
- 18 – Fit for viewing by persons aged 18 or more.
From that date it was an offence to trade uncertified videos, which carried fines of up to £1000 and a maximum sentence of three years. Additional rates came in at £180 per rental title, £80 per sale title and £20 per advert/trailer. This limited the market, especially for London distributors whose releases previously went to Ireland automatically.
In 1996, the 12RA certificate was officially replaced by PG and 12, although releases still used it into the 2000s.
The current certificates for home video formats such as DVD and Blu-ray that are issued are:
- G – General: Suitable for all
- PG – Suitable for general viewing, but parents are advised to watch with children younger than 12 years old.
- 12 – Suitable for people aged 12 and over, and not to be supplied to someone below that age.
- 15 – Suitable for people aged 15 and over, and not to be supplied to someone below that age.
- 18 – Suitable for people aged 18 and over, and not to be supplied to someone below that age.
{| style="margin:1em auto 1em auto"
|-
| 80px || 80px || 80px || 80px || 80px
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A retired certificate only used on home video is:
- 12RA (no longer issued) Not suitable for people aged younger than 12 unless they view with an adult, and not to be supplied to someone below that age. The "RA" stands for "Responsible Adult". Retired around 2003 (officially replaced in 1996).
|2001
|15
|-
|Silent Hill 2
|2002
|18
|-
|Mafia
Appeals
All decisions made with regard to certification, may be appealed for up to 6 months after the certificate is initially issued. An appeal is issued to the Classification of Films Appeal Board.
Works may also be submitted for re-classification after seven years since the original certification have passed (not an appeal per se, but rather seen as an update of classification based on current standards).
A recent example of a (failed) appeal is The First Purge, which received an 18 certificate for strong bloody violence, sustained threat and disturbing scenes. The distributor (Universal Pictures) argued the case for a 16 certificate:
:A. The Purge: Anarchy and The Purge: Election Year both received 16 certificates, for "frequent strong bloody violence, disturbing sequences, strong threat of sexual violence" and "strong bloody violence throughout" respectively. The distributor also mentioned the film's 15 certificate in the UK, which is consistent throughout the franchise.
After first being viewed on 15 June, it was re-viewed on 21 June when the Appeal Board stuck by the original decision.
Ger Connolly wrote back, explaining the decision in greater detail:
Previous appeals (excluding bans)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Title
!Original certificate
!Content guidance/Details
!Appeal results
!Revised certificate
!Current certificate
|-
| 1989 || The Karate Kid Part III || 15 || "Very, very violent" and "an evil influence for young audiences" according to head censor Sheamus Smith.
A spokesperson for Columbia TriStar said, "The first two Karate Kid films had 'under 12' certificates here and the new one has similar certificates in Britain and America. The films are very popular with young audiences".
The appeal viewing took place on 26 July and the decision, which was decided by a 4:1 ratio, pushed the release date back from mid-July to 4 August.
|| Upheld || Under 12's accompanied || PG (DVD)
|-
| 1989 || Ghostbusters II || Under 12's accompanied || Columbia Tri-Star requested a General certificate. || Failed || || PG (DVD)
|-
|1990 || Look Who's Talking || 15 || Smith objected to the opening, showing sperm swimming in a womb, followed by the mother disclosing an affair with her married boss and that she was artificially inseminated.
The appeal viewing took place on 26 January.
|-
| 1990 || Gremlins 2: The New Batch || 15 || Smith objected to the violence, including a gremlin being killed when pushed into a paper shredder. || Failed || || 12 (DVD)
|-
| 1990 || Rocky V || 15 || Smith objected to the "extreme violence" of the final street fight.
UIP requested an Under 12's accompanied certificate and the decision was made unanimously.
|| Failed || || 15 (DVD)
|-
| 1991 || Thelma & Louise || 18 || Due to "frequent violence". || Failed || || 15 (DVD)
|-
| 1991 || Dead Again || 18 || || Upheld || 15 || 18 (DVD)
|-
| 1991 || Toy Soldiers || 18 || Viewed twice by the Appeal Board. || Upheld || 15 || 15 (DVD)
|-
| 1991 || Boyz n the Hood || 18 ||
|-
| 1992 || Wayne's World || 15 || Smith released this teen comedy with a 15 certificate for strong language. At the time, the new Appeals Board hadn't been appointed, but it was submitted for review as soon as the new members of the Board took their jobs.
The appeal viewing took place on 23 March.
|| Upheld || Under 12's accompanied || PG (DVD)
|-
| 1992 || Far and Away || 15 ||
The appeal viewing took place on 13 July.
|-
| 1994 || Heaven & Earth || 18 || After the uncut version received an 18 certificate, Warner Bros. submitted the cut British version, and although Smith initially gave it an 18 too, his decision was overturned.
The appeal viewing took place on 16 February.
The British version was cut by 55s to reduce scenes of torture and sexual violence involving a female prisoner, which "left the emphasis on the tragic implications rather than the infliction of pain and degradation", and lowered the certificate from 18 to 15.
|| Upheld || 15 ||
18 (DVD)
|-
| 1994 || Blown Away || 18 || Due to violence.
The appeal viewing took place on 10 August.
|-
| 1996 || Independence Day || 15 ||The appeal viewing took place on 12 November, for video/DVD.|| Upheld || PG || 12A (cinema)
|-
| 1996 || The Secret Agent Club || 15 ||The appeal viewing took place on 12 November, for video/DVD. || Upheld || 15 || 15 (DVD)
|-
| 1997 || She's the One || 18 ||The appeal viewing took place on 4 July, for video/DVD. || Upheld || 12 || 12 (DVD)
|-
| 2004 || Closer || 18 || Intense, explicit sexual dialogue, strong language, mild nudity.
John Kelleher wrote a letter to the Appeals Board chairman, detailing his reasoning:
"Closer deals uncompromisingly, often very explicitly, with the darker side of adult sexual relationships, notably betrayal and the corrosive effect of sexual jealousy. In my opinion, the film's emotional intensity and very explicit dialogue make it suitable for a mature adult, rather than an adolescent, audience."
|| Failed || || 18 (cinema and DVD)
|-
| 2007 || The Hitcher || 18 || Sustained intense bloody and graphic violence.
The uncut version was submitted at first, and received an 18 certificate. After minor cuts were made for a British 15, this edited version again received an Irish 18, which is what was lowered by the Appeals Board.
|| Upheld || 16 || 16 (cinema)
18 (DVD)
|-
| 2008 || The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian || 12A || Sustained battle sequences, with killing and injury, which while not gory, may still upset younger viewers. || Upheld || PG || PG (cinema and DVD)
|-
| 2008 || Inkheart || 12A || Moderate threat/frights and scary fantasy violence, some of which may disturb younger children. || Failed || || 12A (cinema)
12 (DVD)
|-
| 2009 || Watchmen || 18
|| Upheld || 16 || 16 (cinema)
18 (DVD)
|-
| 2009 || Orphan || 18 || Disturbing theme and content, depicted with underlying menace. Strong, gory horror violence. || Upheld || 16 || 16 (cinema)
18 (DVD)
|-
| 2009 || Law Abiding Citizen || 18 || Vengeance thriller with strong, brutal, sadistic, bloody violence. || Upheld || 16 || 16 (cinema)
18 (DVD)
|-
| 2009 || The Lovely Bones || 15A || Child abduction and murder. Strong scenes of violence and its aftermath. || Upheld || 12A || 12A (cinema)
12 (DVD)
|-
| 2010 || The Hole || 15A || || 15A (cinema)
15 (DVD)
|-
| 2012 || ParaNorman || 12A || Frequent moderate frightening scenes. || Upheld || PG || PG (cinema and DVD)
|-
| 2012 || Lawless || 18 || Brutal gory violence. || Upheld || 16 || 16 (cinema)
18 (DVD)
|-
| 2012 || Taken 2 || 15A || Sustained strong violence and sequences of intense threat. || Upheld || 12A || 12A (cinema)
12 (DVD)
|-
| 2013 || Safe Haven || 15A || Scenes of strong spousal violence. Brief moderate sex scene. || Upheld || 12A || 12A (cinema)
12 (DVD)
|-
| 2017 || Free Fire || 18 || Relentless bloody violence. Strong drugs use.
|| Failed || || 18 (cinema and DVD)
|-
| 2018 || The First Purge || 18 || Strong bloody violence, sustained threat and disturbing scenes.|| Failed || || 18 (cinema and DVD)
|-
| 2018 || Bumblebee || 12A || Moderate violence.
|| Failed || || 12A (cinema)
12 (DVD)
|-
| 2019 || Mid90s || 18 || Strong drugs use. Disturbing scenes and situations. Strong sex references.|| Upheld || 16 || 16 (cinema)
[DVD not submitted]
|-
| 2019 || Downton Abbey || 12A || Brief homophobic reference.|| Upheld || PG || PG (cinema and DVD)
|}
Refusals and bans
Films may be refused a certificate, e.g. on grounds of obscenity. Such films may not be shown in public cinemas or sold in shops, but are not ipso facto banned and have been shown at film festivals and art house clubs such as the Irish Film Theatre and Irish Film Institute. These may also show films which have not been submitted for certification, as the submission fee may be prohibitive if a film is screened only a few times at a small venue.
Prohibitions and revocations, with justification, are listed in the official gazette, , under the headings of PROHIBITION ORDER and REVOCATION ORDER.
Despite the recommendations in the 2000 review of certification that no further films be banned, bans are still occasionally issued, although usually overturned on appeal. Boy Eats Girl, a 2005 movie, was initially banned, with the option of a cut being provided to the producers. On appeal, the film was passed uncut, and granted a 15A rating, although the video certificate was raised to 18.
Movies which are never submitted for cinema release in Ireland are occasionally banned on attempted video releases, although only one such order was made in 2004, banning the pornographic Anabolic Initiations 5, with the appeals board upholding the censor's order. One order was issued in 2005, reiterating the ban on Deep Throat. The only order in 2006 banned the pornographic film Steal Runaway.
For a comprehensive list of banned films, see Film censorship in the Republic of Ireland#Notable banned or cut films
Criticism
Like many systems of entertainment classification, the IFCO has received criticism for several decisions they have made in the past. The board has been described as too zealous and conservative. Many titles that receive 15 certificates from the BBFC are rated 18 by the IFCO. DVD examples include Kick-Ass and Black Swan. Rarer cinema examples (which bypass the 16 rating) include Free Fire
However, the IFCO are more lenient with strong language than the BBFC are, especially with very strong language (e.g. 'cunt'). Examples include Frost/Nixon and The Visitor receiving 15 certificates in the UK but PG's in Ireland despite the use of the stronger term 'motherfucker', and Gone Girl receiving an 18 in the UK but a 15 (on video) in Ireland despite four aggressive uses of 'cunt'. The 2014 documentary Red Army received a 15 in the UK but a 12A in Ireland for a single use of 'cocksucker' (although the video rating was upgraded to 15).
Three titles in particular drew criticism of the board: Election, But I'm a Cheerleader and Brokeback Mountain. All three were rated 18 in Ireland and 15 in the UK, although Brokeback Mountain was rated 16 for cinema release because the system is different than for video releases (it was only an 18 on video) – But I'm a Cheerleader was re-rated 15 in 2021.
The IFCO is established on a statutory basis and thus the appeals procedure is final. Where a film or video game is banned, there can be no further appeal, but the work may be resubmitted after seven years.
See also
- British Board of Film Classification – the equivalent body to the IFCO in the United Kingdom
- Censorship in the Republic of Ireland
- Film censorship in the Republic of Ireland
- Television content rating systems
References
Sources
External links
- Irish Film Censors' Records – searchable calendar at Trinity College Dublin, mostly from period 1923–38