Irish Film Censor's Office

Draco

The Irish Film Censor's Office now has a website where they'll briefly explain the ratings given to films. The url is: http://www.ifco.ie

Nice to see the new censor is opening up the whole process.

(for comparision, the british site is here)

Kappar

I'm glad to see this however, I think that the site has a lot more to do. I would like to see the database expand and more information of the fims i.e. reasons for the classifcation, what scenes were cut and why and so on.

Does anyone know if this information is available in the public domain? If i was to go to the fim censors' office would he give me this information? This is something that I am interested in.

Draco

You'd definitely get it if you put in a FOI request. Try ringing them up anyway and see what they say.

As for the website, it is early days yet. I'm sure they'll expand on it over time.

chewy

do the public get all those details in otehr countries..(after certification before release)?

Xcom2

Kappar wrote:

Does anyone know if this information is available in the public domain? If i was to go to the fim censors' office would he give me this information? This is something that I am interested in.

"The Film Censor's Office holds registers of certified and prohibited works and also registers of licences of video/DVD retailers and wholesalers. These registers may be examined at the Film Censor's Office. At present, no fee is charged for this service."


http://www.oasis.gov.ie/culture_and_recreation/arts_and_culture/censorship_in_ireland/censorship_of_video_and_dvd_recordings_in_ireland.html

G

Kappar

global wrote:

"The Film Censor's Office holds registers of certified and prohibited works and also registers of licences of video/DVD retailers and wholesalers. These registers may be examined at the Film Censor's Office. At present, no fee is charged for this service."


http://www.oasis.gov.ie/culture_and_recreation/arts_and_culture/censorship_in_ireland/censorship_of_video_and_dvd_recordings_in_ireland.html

G

Thanks for that, but does that mean if a film is censored i.e. scenes are cut out can I find out what scenes were cut and perhaps why?

Chad ghostal

afaik (feel free to correct me) the irish film censor is for the majority of the time more of a classifier rather than a censor, i.e. he doesnt cut films just gives them a certificate..
he can (and does) ban films, but afaik because the english and irish markets are treated as one, then we only get films as they are (cut or otherwise), after they have left the bbfc.
having two cuts of the same film in the same market for big films companies would be a pain in the ass no>?

the database does seem to be more or less empty bar some of the film titles currently on release.. :rolleyes:
but at the same time im very glad they made the effort to be slightly more open about decisions..

kappar i dont think the censors would give out all of that information very frequently (simply because it would take time) but you could always check
www.melonfarmers.co.uk or other sites similar for the cuts to films..

Andrew Duffy

If the BBFC cuts a film for cinema, we won't get the same cuts unless the distibutor thinks they'll be required for the cert they want. We always get the same DVD cut as the UK since they're the same DVDs.

Draco

Chad ghostal wrote:

the database does seem to be more or less empty bar some of the film titles currently on release.. :rolleyes:

give it a chance - it is a new site and they are starting from scratch. It will fill out over time. Maybe mail them and ask them to put up older stufff? They may not think there is a demand for it.

Xcom2

The one thing that worries me is that the contact email addy is the same one listed on the oasis site.I have mailed them several times and never received a reply.Hopefully now that they have a flashy new site they will be paying someone to answer mail.

G

:rolleyes:
I just used the feedback form on the site to ask a few question's.
Let's see if I get an answer.

chewy

A good example of this is The Matrix (the first one). When The Matrix
first came out on DVD in Ireland (I'm not sure if this holds through
for whatever new Matrix trilogy box sets are on sale now) it was
slightly cut. The reason for this is because in the UK they always
cuts scenes which involve headbutts. In the bit in the first Matrix
where Morpheus first fights Agent Smith, Morpheus headbutts Agent
Smith, and that was cut out from the UK DVD release.

? true?

Andrew Duffy

Yes. These two sites are good for finding out about cuts made to Region 2 DVD and video releases:

http://www.melonfarmers.co.uk/

http://www.dvdcompare.net/

Edit - annoyingly, the film was given an 18 here anyway, so we got the BBFC's 15-rated cut without the 15 rating.

Xcom2

Well it's been 19 day's since I contacted them,no answer,big surprise there!

G

Agent Orange

global wrote:

Well it's been 19 day's since I contacted them,no answer,big surprise there!

I contacted them aswell and got no response. You could always ring them though - I've done it several times.

Has anyone got a hold of the survey that they were harping on about recently? They said it would be up for download on the site but no such luck. Anyone got it?

Gileadi

on the subject of censorship

im assuming Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is banned here,but is it the case in many eu places...been trying to get a hold of it for awhile now

Xcom2

I dont know if it is banned here or not.It did get a UK 18cert and dosent appear to have been released on dvd yet.The only listing's I can find are for the US region 1 disc.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00007ELDF/qid=1097437386/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/026-5009581-9821218

G

Draco

Gileadi wrote:

on the subject of censorship

im assuming Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is banned here,but is it the case in many eu places...been trying to get a hold of it for awhile now

Pretty sure it isn't banned. It isn't coming up on play so I'm guessing it just not on DVD yet.

doh.ie

Think the Irish Film Censor's Office should veer away from having the word 'censor' in its title if it wants to present a positive public image (which, presumably, is the point of the website.)

They should go for Irish Film Classification Office (hey, no acronym change!) like Britian's BBFC. The Irish office, to the best of my knowledge, like in the UK, do not censor as such anyway - the ratings are used as a guide to cinema-goes and movie buyers.

Always irks me when I go to see a film and see the classification slate, the 'Censor's Office' name more or less telling me someone checked first to see if it was OK for me to see this, and if not, to chop bits out.

Xcom2

I think the name should stay just as it is.

They do censor film's so there is no point trying to kid people into thinking they just classify! The rating's are Law,if they were just a guide you would be able to judge for yourself whether to bring a 15 year old to an 18 rated film.

G

doh.ie

global wrote:

I think the name should stay just as it is.

They do censor film's so there is no point trying to kid people into thinking they just classify! The rating's are Law,if they were just a guide you would be able to judge for yourself whether to bring a 15 year old to an 18 rated film.

G

I don't believe they do censor that much any more. Sure, they do from time to time, but it is much more likely for a film NOT to be cut and just earn a higher certificate here (UK's 15 to Irish 18, mostly.)

I didn't mean that the ratings should lose their legal element - of course no 14 year old should go to an 18s movie. But the term 'censor' paints a different image of the Office than I believe they are trying to portray, which is why I suggested 'Classification' would be better.

I'd like to see how greatly different UK and Irish cuts are. While there are many UK 15s which are 18 here (South Park stands out) and some inexplicable ones (Cider House Rules 12 in UK and 18 here?!?!?!), they are, for the most part, almost identical.

Distributors tend to know what is likely to be required to ensure an 18 or a 15 cert - even on the BBFC website, there are usually only minor requirements required on very few films. The Irish system is unlikely to be much different - indeed, the distributor is likely to submit the approved UK version here in most instances.

Draco

well things are a-changing:

Sexually explicit '9 songs' is passed by film censor

The Irish film censor, Mr John Kelleher, has passed the sexually explicit new British film by Michael Winterbottom, 9 Songs, uncut and with an 18 certificate for cinema release in Ireland.

When it was first screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the film generated a great deal of media interest. Such was the demand for seats that dozens of journalists had to be turned away.
more >>

ixoy

Indeed. I expected it to be an IFI only flick, if that even. Now I imagine it'll get a showing in the Screen and UGC and probably the Kino in Cork. And we all know that the majority of people going to see it will be to look at the naughty rude bits and see some very excited men and women...

Xcom2

....and the official Censor's site has no mention of this film? Not really a shock as I'm still waiting on 3 email replies.

G

Blisterman

I was just wondering (without anything that will get this thread closed) What's the status for porn in ireland? Does it need to be sold from licenced shops like in the UK?

Xcom2

I was alway's under the assumption that it was illegal to sell it despite the fact most sex shops sell it.
The Irish government never tried to proscribe(make the sale of or advertising of viewing card's illegal)red hot dutch,eurotica,satisfaction club tv etc.
The licensed sex shop approach is just a con to jack up the price,why would you pay 70 euro in a sex shop? Just pay 20 euro and buy it online.
TBH There is not a lot the government can do beside's open every package entering the country and spend million's trying to stop signal's from foreign satilite's.

If you want to see porn you will if you dont you wont!

X

Blisterman

That's strange.

Quinnsey

doh.ie wrote:

I'd like to see how greatly different UK and Irish cuts are. While there are many UK 15s which are 18 here (South Park stands out) and some inexplicable ones (Cider House Rules 12 in UK and 18 here?!?!?!), they are, for the most part, almost identical.

I think Cider House Rules earned such a high rating becuase it has an abortion theme. It's sickening that there is just one man who decides what everyone in Ireland can and can't see, and has abosolutly no accountability whatsoever or any compulsion to explain his decisions.

At least Showgirls has been unbanned

Hugh Hefner

Maybe so but I don't have problems with the curent censor. He hasn't made any bad descisions and he has explained the whole 15 (UK) = 18 (Ire.). It's because we only have 15PG in cinemas and 15PG is lower than 15. Therefore if something is boarderline 15-18 (UK) then over here it'll usually be 18 because 15PG would be too low.

Quinnsey

I still find it suspicious that films with a positive religious messages get low ratings (Passion of Christ UK: 18 IRE: 15PG) and films with a negative religious message get higher ratings (Saved! UK: 12 USA: PG-13 IRE 15PG).

Miguel_Sanchez

Gileadi wrote:

on the subject of censorship

im assuming Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is banned here,but is it the case in many eu places...been trying to get a hold of it for awhile now

I've never heard anything about it being banned in Ireland. I'm almost positive that I've seen it for rent in video shops.

Agent Orange

Fear and Loathing isn't banned.
Showgirls is still banned.

Draco

Quinnsey wrote:

It's sickening that there is just one man who decides what everyone in Ireland can and can't see, and has abosolutly no accountability whatsoever or any compulsion to explain his decisions.

Any of his decisions can be appealed to a board that name escapes me at the moment.

Miguel_Sanchez

Agent Orange wrote:

Fear and Loathing isn't banned.
Showgirls is still banned.

Interestingly enough I have seen Showgirls for rent in a video shop in Galway. Because you have to pay to become a member of this shop would that give it the legal right to rent videos that don't have a cert? Or are they just breaking the law?

Agent Orange

Jeff_Lebowski wrote:

Interestingly enough I have seen Showgirls for rent in a video shop in Galway. Because you have to pay to become a member of this shop would that give it the legal right to rent videos that don't have a cert? Or are they just breaking the law?

Yes, they are breaking the law. It is against the law to sell a film that hasn't been certified or has been refused a certificate. I've seen plenty of banned videos for sale though - the fact that a video would have been certified by the BBFC but not here seems to confuse a lot of retailers. I saw Showgirls myself recently in my local Game.

Of course, the censor can go back and unban videos. When he does, it's announced in Iris Oifigiuil (as are banning orders). So far this year he has unbanned From Dusk Til Dawn 1 and 2.

Miguel_Sanchez

On a related topic does anyone know where I can get an up to date list of all films that are currently banned in Ireland. The censor's site doesn't seem to have anything. Should I just ring them and ask them for one or is there anywhere that actually has this information?

Blisterman

I'm interested in that too.

Miguel_Sanchez

After many weeks of getting on to the censor's office and being sent lists that were out of date I received a full list of banned films and revoked films etc. I even got sent a list of prohibitied video titles which seems to be just porno titles - love the names.

Anyways - there's still film titles available around Ireland that are banned in the country - Showgirls and Caligula being the big ones.

ixoy

Jeff_Lebowski wrote:

After many weeks of getting on to the censor's office and being sent lists that were out of date I received a full list of banned films and revoked films etc. I even got sent a list of prohibitied video titles which seems to be just porno titles - love the names.

Gonna share this list? Post it up!!!

m4cker

Fear and loathing isn't banned its just every rental copy in the country has been nicked by some scogey. Along with the 2 copies i recorded on video.

Romo

Blisterman wrote:

I was just wondering (without anything that will get this thread closed) What's the status for porn in ireland? Does it need to be sold from licenced shops like in the UK?

Sex shops in Ireland openly sell porn, however my understanding is that it's illegal. I haven't been to Dublin in ages, but there are at least four or five sex shops in Cork. One is just up the street from a police station on MacCurtain street. Once in a blue moon there is an obscenity raid. I think a warehouse was raided in Little Island last year. The police justified it to the Evening Echo on the basis that they were looking for child p***. I didn't hear any more about this and have my doubts about this. If it was a standard obscenity raid then that's the pretext under which it should have been taken and communicated to the public.

The government should licence sex shops in Ireland, in Britain and America they operate according to particular criteria. Certain things are curtailed or proscribed in the videos that they are allowed to sell, sexual violence and adult consanguinity, I think.

doh.ie

Quinnsey wrote:

I still find it suspicious that films with a positive religious messages get low ratings (Passion of Christ UK: 18 IRE: 15PG) and films with a negative religious message get higher ratings (Saved! UK: 12 USA: PG-13 IRE 15PG).

Yep! Don't forget Cider House Rules (can't go having abortions in the subject of a MOVIE now, can we?!) UK: 12 (yes, that's right, 12!), US: PG-13, and dear old Ireland... 18! The mind boggles.

Quinnsey

Don't forget Million Dollar Baby, a certain subplot I won't reveal pushed that two ratings higher than UK and US. To think us simple Irish might have to think about such sinful things!!!

rogue-entity

AFAIK the only form of Pornography that is legal for sale in Ireland is "soft core" with all hard core porn and related material being illegal for sale in Ireland. What defines "hard core" are scenes of "penile penetration". But all films porn or not, hard core or not, have to be given a cert in order to sell them or show them in a cinema. This means that if a censor was to give a hard core porno an 18's it would not be illegal (feel free to correct me on this). As it stands since all hard core material is illegal the censor is obligated to ban it or else cut the offending material.

It is not illegal to import into the country films and related material that is (a) uncertified or (b) certified by another country as long as it is for your own personal use. This means that you can go to other countries, buy what would normaly be banned for sale here and bring it back. The only thing that you cannot do is show the film in public or sell it, both of which require a cert.

This also means that you are free to download such material from the internet as you are doing so for your personal use.

There are only two exceptions that I know of.
1) You are forbidden under any circumstances to download, or otherwise obtain images or videos depicting KP
2) Licenced/Registered film clubs are exempt from censorship laws and can get access to banned films as long as they do not contain KP.

Again feel free to correct me on this.

Andrew Duffy

Here's the act and here's the relevant section on importation of banned works. Unclassified works, which include any that have foreign classification but not Irish, may be seized by customs and sent to the IFCO.

Sarsfield

rogue-entity wrote:

It is not illegal to import into the country films and related material that is (a) uncertified or (b) certified by another country as long as it is for your own personal use. This means that you can go to other countries, buy what would normaly be banned for sale here and bring it back. The only thing that you cannot do is show the film in public or sell it, both of which require a cert.

Not necessarily so according to Customs & Excise. It is always illegal to import pornography. Although nobody in C&E will define pornography. It's basically up to the customs officer checking the questionable material.

PixelTrawler

Gileadi wrote:

on the subject of censorship

im assuming Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is banned here,but is it the case in many eu places...been trying to get a hold of it for awhile now

it was never banned, it was shown in the cinema ( it did very badly though unfortunately because i think its a very underrated film - think in Galway it only lasted 2 weeks in the cinema ) and received a video release - not sure about dvd - although im sure its available now

sexylou138

Dose Anybody If Chucky Is Banned..? Or Was..?

Miguel_Sanchez

Dose Anybody If Chucky Is Banned..? Or Was..?

It was never banned. In England some video shops took Child's Play 3 off the shelves after the Jamie Bulger case but it was never banned there either AFAIK.

humanji

Jeff_Lebowski, do you still have that list of the banned stuff? I've been searching the net for anything like it, and IFCO have yet to get back to me.

Nevyn

The censors office made a point of not having a banned list.
It gives a listing of all the films that were passed and given a cert for viewing here.
IF it is not on any of the lists then the film has not been granted a cert.

Xcom2

Thaedydal wrote:

The censors office made a point of not having a banned list.
It gives a listing of all the films that were passed and given a cert for viewing here.
IF it is not on any of the lists then the film has not been granted a cert.

http://www.oasis.gov.ie

Records held by the Film Censor's Office

"The Film Censor's Office holds registers of certified and prohibited works and also registers of licences of video/DVD retailers and wholesalers. These registers may be examined at the Film Censor's Office. At present, no fee is charged for this service."

So could someone call in and ask to see the list of prohibited works and maybe take a picture?

Xcom