Kids in movie theaters now shielded from violent trailers

MTRCB Chair Eugenio Villareal PHOTO BY KIMBERLY DELA CRUZ

MANILA, Philippines–Movie trailers with mature or violent themes will no longer be allowed in theaters that show movies with the G (General Audience) rating or those approved for children.

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) made this announcement shortly after issuing a memorandum circular over the weekend to movie producers, distributors, theater owners and operators, as well as broadcast networks. The memo revised the rule on classifying movie trailers and related publicity materials.

“There is a need to revisit the rules on the review and classification of publicity materials, most especially trailers exhibited in movie theaters, so that parents and other responsible adults are provided adequate information as to the kind of content children will see in such materials,” the memo said.

“A board meeting was held recently to create a rule on the screening of trailers with a PG (Parental Guidance) rating,” MTRCB Chair Eugenio Villareal told the Inquirer. “With the new memo, cinemas can no longer show non-G trailers while screening animated movies like ‘Frozen,’ for example.”

“The Filipino audience, including women, children, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens, are entitled to entertainment that is not offensive or injurious to their dignity and welfare,” he said.

The MTRCB stressed that children and their parents, as well as other responsible adults, should be assured of  “age-appropriate and audience-sensitive trailers and other promotional materials.”

But at the same time, film producers and distributors must also be given “reasonable opportunity to promote and market their film products.”

Villareal said the revised rule “attempt(s) to strike a balance” between these two concerns.

He noted that before the rules were revised, all trailers were made to “fit” or adhere to G-rating standards. Hence, he said, “you can only do so much for a movie that tells a story about mistresses, for example.”

Films like “The Wolf of Wall Street” would never be classified as G, he added, “(but) producers were forced to come up with G-rated trailers because that was the only kind allowed.”

In classifying trailers, the MTRCB will consider the following factors: Theme, violence, language, nudity, sex, horror, and drugs.

“Trailers with a G rating may be shown prior to, or with, any motion picture regardless of the latter’s rating,” the memo added. However, those with a PG rating may be shown only with movies rated PG, R-13, R-16, or R-18.

Trailers should also include an advisory, which must be displayed for at least three seconds, indicating whether it is rated G or PG.