Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)

The Office of Film and Literature Classification uses a variety of ratings to classify media for consumption in New Zealand, which includes but is not limited to films, TV shows, video games, literature and on rare occasions has even included things like caravans and T-shirts.

Ratings

General - People of all ages can view these films and video games. There is no language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that would upset tamariki. Equivalent to G.

Parental Guidance (PG) - Films and video games with a PG label can be sold, hired or shown to anyone. This means unaccompanied tamariki can watch but some scenes may be scary. Equivalent to PG.

Mature Audiences (M) - Films and video games with an M label can be sold, hired or shown to anyone but they are are more suitable for mature audiences. It's a good idea to read the content warning. Equivalent to low PG-13.

RP13 - Restricted to persons 13 years and over unless accompanied by a Parent/Guardian. Equivalent to medium PG-13.

Restricted (13) - Restricted to persons 13 years and over. Equivalent to high PG-13.

Restricted (14) - Restricted to persons 14 years and over. Very rarely used. Equivalent to very high PG-13.

Restricted (15) - Restricted to persons 15 years and over. Equivalent to low R.

RP16 - Restricted to persons 16 years and over unless accompanied by a Parent/Guardian. Equivalent to medium R.

Restricted (16) - Restricted to persons 16 years and over. Equivalent to high R.

Restricted (17) - Restricted to persons 17 years and over. Rarely used. Equivalent to very high R.

RP18 - Restricted to persons 18 years and over unless accompanied by a Parent/Guardian. Concerning the content impact (particularly suicide) of 13 Reasons Why to older teens, an RP18 label was introduced for that matter. Both seasons 1 and 2 got RP18 ratings in New Zealand. Equivalent to low NC-17.

Restricted (18) - Restricted to persons 18 years and over. Equivalent to medium NC-17.

Restricted (R) - Restricted to a particular group or purpose. Equivalent to S.

Rating images

Objectionable publications

Section 3(1) of the FVPC Act sets out the meaning of the word "objectionable". The section states that a publication is objectionable if it "describes, depicts, expresses, or otherwise deals with matters such as sex, horror, crime, cruelty, or violence in such a manner that the availability of the publication is likely to be injurious to the public good."

It is illegal to distribute, publicly display or possess objectionable publications in New Zealand.

Wicked Campers

Originating in Australia, they have become infamous for their offensive slogans on their campervan designs. For a first in the world, the New Zealand film classification system was used for vehicles. The first vehicles were classified by the OFLC on 28 April 2016.

• Vehicles classified on 28 April 2016
  • JKC408 (1600223.000): Objectionable due to portraying illicit drug use in a celebratory manner. Depicts Shaggy from Scooby-Doo holding a cannabis cigarette, and text referring to him rolling a "doobie".
  • GCT799 (1600222.000): Objectionable due to portraying illicit drug use in a celebratory manner. Depicts Snow White snorting cocaine or a similar substance.
  • JLT886 (1600221.000): Objectionable due to portraying illicit drug use in a celebratory manner. Depicts the Cat in a Hat promoting illicit drug use in a subversive manner.
• Vehicles classified on 16 May 2016
  • DZQ882 (1600209.000): Unrestricted. Depicts characters from The Simpsons holding a bong, but not smoking it.
  • GCT798 (1600234.000): Objectionable as it would expose minors to an extreme sexual act. The text of the back of the campervan contains the name of an extreme sexual practice involving the ritual humiliation of women.
  • EHJ635 (1600221.000): Unrestricted. Shows a Smurf holding a cigarette, but interpretation is ambiguous whether or not it is marijuana. The text does not have a strong connection to drugs, making it available unrestricted.
• Vehicles classified on 8 June 2016
  • JKC403 (1600281.000): Objectionable due to portraying illicit drug use in a celebratory manner. Goofy is portrayed with cannabis. The text "Stoned!" appears in large, colourful letters beside the images of the character.
  • JMY492 (1600235.000): Unrestricted. Rhyme contains a reference to a bong and a slang term for the character's penis. No serious harm has been identified, allowing it to be available unrestricted.
  • HZN625 (1600236.000): Unrestricted. At the back of the van contains a throwaway line with a common slang term for fellatio. No serious harm to minors is expected on the text.
• Vehicles classified on 14 July 2017
  • EFH750 (1700235.000): R16. One side of the campervan contains a large image of a duck smoking a cannabis cigarette with bloodshot eyes. The slang term "Stoned" also appears next to the image of a duck.
  • HZN623 (1700237.000): R16. Brightly coloured text and images which celebrate the use of the following illicit drugs: cannabis, ecstasy and LSD. Young persons may find it problematic.
  • GCT784 (1700236.000): R16. Has prominent and brightly coloured text and images celebrating cannabis use.
  • DZA187 (1700234.000): Unrestricted. Sides of the campervan contain Cheech & Chong, known for films involving cannabis use. There is large text containing a reference to LSD use.

Christchurch mosque shootings

A livestream of one of the Christchurch mosque shootings that took place on March 2019, titled Christchurch Mosque Attack Livestream, was classified as objectionable.

The Great Replacement, a 74-page manifesto written by the perpetrator, has also been classified as objectionable.

Unusual decision to classify a drink can

A drink can was classified by the New Zealand Classification Office on 9 February 2012 as unrestricted. It is called "Miss Svenson's Classroom Detention". It contains images of sexualised caricatures of a disciplinarian, Swedish schoolmistress using sexual innuendo. It may be considered degrading to teachers and Swedes. Nevertheless, the drink can's availability is unrestricted.

Trivia

• Titles submitted to the OFLC which have been rated G, PG, or M in Australia can be 'cross-rated' with the equivalent G, PG or M classifications available in New Zealand, without the need for said title to be reviewed manually. Comparatively, if a film has not been classified in Australia, but has been given an unrestricted classification in the United Kingdom (U, PG, 12A or 12) then the FVLB (Film Video and Labelling Board) will base the New Zealand classification of said title on that.
• The maximum age a rating can get is 18 despite majority age in NZ been 20, a R20 was formerly used.
• Is one of the few rating systems that have a rating that restrict access to a work based in other factors than age (profesion, specified persons, etc...)
• Is probably the age rating system with most ratings.
• Also the one with most kind of media and stuff that can clasify although it mainly centers in videogames, films, videos, sexual magazines and literature.
• RP14 and RP15 have never been used but the OFLC could.
• The guidelines doesn't specify the content allowed in each rating instead it center in the reasons a work can be restricted, and being objectionable (banned).