U stands for 'Universal', meaning the film, video or DVD is suitable for anyone. Examples include Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang and The Princess & the Frog.
PG stands for 'Parental Guidance', which means that some parts of the film might not be ideal for younger children. Parents ought to think carefully before letting them watch. Examples of PG films are How to Train Your Dragon and Tooth Fairy.
12 is now only ever seen on videos and DVDs. As with the 12A, it tells parents that the content is best suited for those aged 12 and above. Examples, both of which were certified 12A for cinema, include Iron Man 2 and Avatar.
12A is only for films released at the cinema. It tells parents that the film is best suited for those aged 12 and above. Parents can take along under 12s if they choose, so long as they go with them! Examples include Iron Man 2 and Avatar.
15 means that the film, video or DVD is really only suitable for those aged 15 or above. Only people aged 15 or older are allowed to view a 15 rated film at the cinema or buy or rent a 15 rated DVD, video or game.
18 means that the film, video or DVD is only suitable for adults (people aged eighteen or over). Only adults are allowed to view an 18 rated film at the cinema or rent or buy an 18 rated video, DVD or game.
BBFC U ratingBBFC PG ratingBBFC 12A ratingBBFC 12 ratingBBFC 15 ratingBBFC 18 rating

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TOP FILM OF 2005 REVEALED...

Brilliant bunny tale Wallace and Gromit in The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit has been voted the best film of 2006 by cbbfc readers.

The story is about oddball inventor Wallace and his best friend Gromit the dog who are trying to catch a giant rabbit. It scooped the top place after cbbfc readers voted it their favourite movie from 2006. The other films in the top five were War Of The Worlds, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, Star Wars: Episode III The Revenge Of The Sith and King Kong.

Wallace and Gromit are well known characters - they have starred in several other films,  including A Close Shave, A Grand Day Out and The Wrong Trousers. Hit film Chicken Run was made by the same people.

The characters Wallace and Gromit are made from a special sort of plasticine and were created by filmmaker Nick Park (right). To make the films Nick and his fellow director Steve Box work with a team of people, carefully moving the models and taking pictures of them to create the impression that they are moving on their own. This sort of animation is called stop-motion animation or claymation.


This is hard and time consuming work, but has earned them respect all over the world from fans of their films and from other movie makers. This year they won an Oscar and a Bafta along with many other awards - and it isn't the first time. Nick is one of the few people ever to have won four Oscars.

Actor Peter Sallis, who is famous in the UK for the television series Last Of The Summer Wine, provides Wallace's distinctive voice. Actress Helena Bonham Carter, who was also the voice of animated character The Corpse Bride, played Lady Tottington, a keen gardener whose vegetable patch is in danger when the dastardly Were-Rabbit starts snacking on her carrots in the middle of the night.

To find out more about animation and to win brilliant prizes enter this months cbbfc competition.

To vote on our latest poll click here
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