Régie du cinéma (Quebec)

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The Régie du cinéma is a government agency responsible for the motion picture rating system within the Canadian province of Quebec. Its mandate is to classify and approve films for distribution to Quebec's movie theatres and home video outlets. Its purview devolves from the Cinema Act (RSQ, C-18.1).

Charles Bélanger currently serves as the President of the agency which is under the auspices of Quebec's Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine (Ministry of Culture, Communications and Women's Affairs).

Contents 1 Rating System 2 References 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] Rating System

The Régie du cinéma rates all films and videos. Individual ratings and their rationales are publicly available online on the Régie's website [1]. The same classifications are used for television broadcasts.

The current ratings are: ^[1]

Rating Label	Description
G	Visa général (General Rating) May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons of all ages. For the purposes of this rating, a young child is any person 8 years of age and under. The CHVRS G and PG ratings have that rating (and also some 14A ratings).
13+	13 ans et plus (13 years and over) May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons 13 years of age and over. Children 12 years of age and under may be admitted to a public showing of the film but only if accompanied by an adult aged 16 or older. The CHVRS 14A rating has that rating (and also some 18A ratings).
16+	16 ans et plus (16 years and over) May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons 16 years of age and over. The CHVRS 18A rating has that rating (and also some CHVRS R ratings).
18+	18 ans et plus (18 years and over) May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons 18 years of age and over. The 18+ rating is usually reserved for pornographic movies or works that are especially violent, cruel or feature torture. An Explicit Sexuality indication requires retailers to place materials out of the reach of minors, in a separate room. The CHVRS R rating usually has that rating.

Each rating can also include one or a number of complementary indications. The possible combinations are as follows:

Rating	For children	Not suitable for young children	Coarse Language	Erotica	Violence	Horror	Explicit Sexuality
G	Y (exclusive use)	Y (exclusive use)	N (not used)	N (not used)	N (not used)	N (not used)	N (not used)
13+	N (not used)	Y (rarely)	Y (used)	Y (used)	Y (used)	Y (used)	N (not used)
16+	N (not used)	N (not used)	Y (used)	Y (used)	Y (used)	Y (used)	N (not used)
18+	N (not used)	N (not used)	Y (used)	Y (used)	Y (used)	Y (used)	Y (exclusive use)

The G movies usually can have some swearing in them, as long as the offensive language is not prevalent throughout. Violence can also be permitted, but only in a fantasy context (in such movie as, for example, Iron Man (2008), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Transformers (2007) or Eragon (2006)). Sex can be present as long as it is filmed with extreme maintenance. Horror elements can be present, but have to be filmed in a way that would not scare children under 13 years of age. In cases where objectional material can be found, the Not recommended for young children tag, which indicates that the movie could contain material inappropiate for young children but does not prohibit them from viewing the film, is added to the original rating.

13+ movies usually have content that likely would not be suitable for young children. Typically, scenes of violence that are darker than what is depicited in traditional fantasy films (e.g., Watchmen (2009), The Dark Knight (2008)), or are more realistic (e.g., The Departed (2006), Taken (2008), Body of Lies (2008)) warrant a 13+ rating. As apposed to G movies, strong horror elements can be present; these are usually accompanied with the Horror tag (e.g., Friday the 13th (2009), Hannibal Rising (2007)). Vulgar Language is more prevalent and scenes of sexual acts or nudity can be more explicit (e.g., Deception(2008), Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay(2008), Observe and Report(2009), Alpha Dog(2006) and Sex Drive(2008)).

16+ movies are usually movies with more explicit violence than what a 13+ movie can afford. Most of these cases, a movie deals with extreme violence (i.e: Rambo(2008), Smokin' Aces(2007), Crank: High Voltage(2009) Saw(2004), Hannibal(2001) or Pulp Fiction(1994) are all examples of 16+ rated movies featuring violence). In some cases, it can be for sex and nudity, and that rating usually occurs to soft-core pornography. Horror elements can also be present, although in these cases, they are mostly mixed with violence (i.e: Saw(2004), Saw II(2005), Saw III(2006), Saw IV(2007) and Saw V(2008) are the type of horror movies you can find). In rare cases, a movie is rated 16+ for the language it uses. Some rare exceptions are Clerks II(2006), Strange Wilderness(2008) or Brüno(2009).

18+ movies are mostly hard-core pornography movies, but they can also feature movies of extreme violence and gore. Hostel(2005), Hostel: Part 2(2007) and Wolf Creek(2005) are a few examples. It is rare that a normal movie will get a 18+ rating for the language or horror elements it has. Sometimes, nudity and sex is good enough to warrant a 18+ rating without going into the edges of pornography, but is usually accompanied by another indication, such as violence.

Movies that have not yet been rated feature the indication En attente de classement (Rating Pending). This is common on print advertising before the release of a movie. The movie must have been rated by the Régie by the time it is released.

While not a classification per se, educational or pedagogical movies, sport and physical exercise programs, and promotional materials are exempt from classification^[2].

The Régie does not cut sequences from movies; they are rated in the format provided by the production company. Nonetheless, the Régie has the authority to deny classification^[2], in which case the movie cannot be distributed in any format in the province of Québec. Such movies usually feature inhumane sexual exploitation.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Canadian motion picture rating system
• Canadian Home Video Rating System, the English-speaking equivalent of the Régie's ratings for home video materials

[edit] External links

• Official website
• (French) Régie du cinéma ratings database (includes a brief description of each movie and a rationale for the rating)