FILM FESTIVALS
This page provides information for film festival organisers on submitting films for classification, labelling exemptions, grouping short films, and applying for fee waivers.
Film Festival Organisers
Under the Films, Videos and Publications Classification Act 1993, most films must be labelled before they are supplied to the public. There are exceptions – see 'Which films are exempt?' Applications for classification and labelling are made to the Film and Video Labelling Body in the first instance. For more information on submitting a film for classification, click here.
Which films are exempt?
Under Section 8 of the Act some films may be exempt from the labelling requirement. The exemption does not apply if there is something in the film that might cause it to be classified as restricted or objectionable. See What the Act Restricts. The law places the responsibility for deciding whether a film is exempt on the person supplying it to the public. For more information, go to the exemptions from labelling page.
Short films may be 'grouped' for classification
Under Regulation 8 of the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification (Fees) Regulations 1994, two or more short films submitted at the same time may be treated by the Chief Censor as a single publication for the purposes of setting the fee for classification. Applicants should include a cover letter stating their reasons for wanting films grouped. Films may be grouped where the Chief Censor considers it would be unreasonable or unfair or unduly burdensome to pay a separate fee for each film. Applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their request for grouping.
Applying for a fee waiver
Regulation 7 of the Fees Regulations allows the Chief Censor to waive up to 75% of the standard classification fee. Where a fee waiver is requested, the Chief Censor will take into account a range of matters including such things as the publication's age, value or importance, the purpose for which the publication is intended to be used, and commercial gains, if any, likely to be derived from the use of the publication.
Fee waiver applications are made in a letter addressed to the Chief Censor and included with the submission of the publication to the Labelling Body.
Note that fee waivers may be granted on the understanding that the request for such a waiver relates to festival screenings only, and the dates and places of the screenings must be specified in the request. Subsequent commercial distribution of a film would be subject to payment by the distributor of the remaining standard classification fee.
For more information, please contact the Information Unit.