Tories to cut province’s film rating system

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This article was published 14/03/2018 (2821 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobans will soon have to rely on the film classifications that are acceptable in Vancouver and Victoria.

Culture Minister Cathy Cox said Tuesday she’s started the dismantling of the Manitoba Film Classification Board and replacing it with the classifications designated by Consumer Protection British Columbia.

Cox told reporters she saw no problem accepting the standards of another province, especially one with an NDP government.

“This is not about cost,” Cox said.

The distributors pay the costs of classifying films shown and sold, and video games sold in stores in Manitoba, she said.

“This is making it easier for distributors. This is an opportunity to reduce our footprint and to reduce red tape,” the minister said.

Cox was not immediately aware how many film classifications get challenged in Manitoba.

Her staff later supplied figures for classifying 377 films in Manitoba in 2016-2017: 52 general, 181 parental guidance, 125 required parental accompaniment under 14 years of age, 18 required parental accompaniment for viewers under 18, and one was restricted.

Four film classifications were appealed and seven underwent internal reviews, but details were not immediately available Tuesday afternoon, nor was the province aware how Manitoba’s classifications of the 377 films compared to how B.C. rated them.

The restricted film could not be identified.

Film festivals would be permitted under Cox’s changes to classify their own films or use classifications provided by other jurisdictions

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca