Research into Certificate of Film

What does the 15 symbol mean?

No-one under 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a 15 rated video. 15 rated works are not suitable for children under 15 years of age.

What might I see in a 15 rated film or video?

Any of the following:

•   strong violence
•  frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***').
•   portrayals of sexual activity
•   strong verbal references to sex
•   sexual nudity
•   brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
•   discriminatory language or behaviour
•   drug taking

How much strong language is allowed in a 15?

There could potentially be a great deal. At 15 there is no upper limit on the number of uses of strong language (e.g. ‘f***’).
Occasionally there may be uses of the strongest terms (e.g. 'c***'), depending on the manner in which they are used, who is using the language, its frequency and any special contextual justification. However, continued or aggressive use will not normally be passed 15.

Can there be strong violence?

Yes, at 15 violence may be strong. It should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury, however, and the strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable.
Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable.

This certificate of 15 fits in perfectly with our film. We will have many of the elements included in the description in our film. These include strong violence and gore. However, there will not be any sadistic violence in the film as that would make it ineligible for a 15 certificate. There will also be strong language and possibly some discriminatory language and behaviour. This is necessary in our film as people will be scared during a zombie outbreak so would be using offensive language and violence to let their anger out. If they weren't to do this then they would drive themselves crazy trying to keep their anger shut up inside. If we were to go lower than 15 then the film would lose some of the realism. For these reasons I believe that the certificate of 15 would be the best certificate for our film.