The Saskatchewan Film and Video Classification Board is a board of the

Saskatchewan Department of Justice Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

responsible for providing film and video classification documents to

movie theatre A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall (Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...

s in the Canadian province of

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...

. The Board was formerly responsible for reviewing films and granting film ratings, but since 1 October 1997 these duties have been done by the British Columbia Film Classification Office on Saskatchewan's behalf. In 1994, the Board briefly achieved international notoriety when it banned the

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...

-based comedy film ''

Exit to Eden ''Exit to Eden'' is a 1985 novel by Anne Rice, initially published under the pen name Anne Rampling, but subsequently under Rice's name. The novel explores the subject of BDSM in romance novel form. The novel also brought attention to Rice's pu ...

'' from being shown in Saskatchewan theaters. This was the first time a major Hollywood film had been banned in Canada since ''

Pretty Baby Pretty Baby may refer to: * ''Pretty Baby'' (1950 film), a comedy film featuring Dennis Morgan and Betsy Drake * ''Pretty Baby'' (1978 film), a drama film featuring Brooke Shields ** ''Pretty Baby'' (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the film ...

'' was temporarily banned in some jurisdictions in 1978. After a significant public outcry, the ban was lifted a few days later. The Board is empowered by Saskatchewan's Film and Video Classification Act.

Film Ratings

*General (G): A film is to be classified as General if the contents are considered acceptable for all age groups. Films with this rating are allowed to include: occasional violence, occasional swearing and coarse language, the most innocent of sexually suggestive scenes and nudity. If a film includes any of the above, a warning accompanying the films advertisements may be required. *Parental Guidance (PG): A film is to be classified as Parental Guidance where the themes or content of the film may not be suitable for all children, although there is no age restriction. *14A: A film is to be classified as 14A where the film is suitable for viewing by people aged 14 or older. Children under 14 are admitted if accompanied by an adult. Films with this rating may contain: violence, coarse language, and/or sexually suggestive scenes. Parents Cautioned *18A: A film is to be classified as 18A where the film is suitable for viewing by people aged 18 or older -- not for people under age 18 unless accompanied by an adult. Films with this rating will contain: horror, explicit violence, frequent coarse language and sexually suggestive scenes. Parents Strongly Cautioned *Restricted (R): People under the age of 18 are not granted entrance to "Restricted" films. Films with a restricted rating contain some or all of the following: sexually explicit scenes, brutal violence, intense horror and/or other disturbing scenes, frequent use of coarse language and swearing. *Adult (A): Admittance to films classified as "Adult" is strictly prohibited to persons under the age of 18. The content is not suitable for minors -- contains predominantly sexually explicit activity, explicit violence and/or scenes of brutality or torture to persons or animals.

References

External links

*
The Film and Video Classification Act
{{Saskatchewan-stub, Film and Video Classification Board, Saskatchewan Canadian motion picture rating systems Film and Video Classification Board Entertainment rating organizations