New Zealand OFLC teaching kids how to censor
New Zealand’s Office of Film & Literature Classification is teaching school students the fine art of classification and censorship. Michelle Baker from the OFLC said their Censor For A Day program is an opportunity for students to learn how censorship really worked and to apply it to future films. Bay Of Plenty Times writes: Around...
Are our censors deluded?
I just made my first post on NoCensorshipAus (a new collaborative blog) about News Ltd’s puff piece on Australian Classification Board member Alexandra Greene. Greene told the paper that she doesn’t consider her role at the ACB to be that of a censor, she merely informs people about what they are about to watch and...
Salo stays banned
Between 1993 and 1998, Salo was classified R18+ in Australia. You could see it in select cinemas. Before that it had been banned since 1976, and in 1998 the QLD Attorney General saw to it that be banned once again. Fast forward 10 years and nothing has changed. Shock’s submission to have the upcoming Criterion...
Fallout 3 banned for in-game drug use?
Rumor around the gaming community is that Fallout 3 has been refused classification in Australia because it contains drug use. A user on the GameSpot forums says a friend who works for the ‘OFLC’ had revealed to them that Fallout 3 has been banned for its in-game use of morphine. Under the National Classification Code,...
Classification Amendment Bill brings about changes to advertising and assessment
The Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Assessments and Advertising) Bill 2008 passed the Senate this week. Here’s a brief look at some of the changes: The Bill allows unclassified films and computer games to be advertised before they are classified, providing they meet set conditions and are assessed as part of a new...
Henson – News website photos G-rated
Quicky post: The Classification Board has determined that five photographs by Bill Henson that were published on news websites a little over a week ago are G-rated. These are the same photos Mr Rudd decried as ‘absolutely revolting.’ Update 6:36PM: Artist protests Henson’s treatment with similar work.
Censors investigate websites using Henson photographs
The Classification Board is investigating news media websites who published photographs taken by Bill Henson. The case was referred to them by the ACMA, but it’s unknown whether a complaint was made by a member of the public (maybe a revolted PM?) or the ACMA took it upon themselves. So on one hand you’ve got...
Film shorts banned at Melbourne Queer Film Festival
The Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) cannot screen their special presentation, The Erotic Films of Peter de Rome, at this year’s festival. The package of shorts (currently classified X18+ in Australia) were denied exemption from classification by the OFLC even though they would have been shown to adults only. “The MQFF is terribly disappointed not...