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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Teacher/Parent Information

cbbfc.co.uk has been designed to give older primary school children a clearer understanding of film classification in the UK. This site should enable them to find out how and why films, videos and DVDs are classified in a fun and informative manner. Whilst the site has been specifically created with 8-12 year olds in mind, we think there's still plenty on the site for younger chldren to enjoy.

As well as providing general information about the way in which the British Board of Film Classification operates, there are a number of activities with which children can get involved, either interactively on the site or by downloading/printing worksheets. There is also a regular competition for them to enter. We aim to regularly update all of these as well as develop other aspects of the site. FEEDBACK is very important to us, so please do not hesitate to let us know how well the site is or is not working for you!

More information, activities and print outs for teachers can be found in the attic. Specific information about current cinema releases is available on our website for parents www.pbbfc.co.uk

Technical Stuff: The site works best with PCs connected to a Broadband (or higher) connection, although everything will still function very adequately on a 56K modem - just allow more time when downloading clips in the "Classify a Clip" section and other files. Viewing clips currently requires installation of the latest version of the Adobe/Macromedia Flash player, but do not worry, you will be prompted to download it if you do not have it installed. If you do experience any technical problems with the site, please do let us know and we will do our best to help you out.

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