By Kenny Chee

A NEW Parental Guidance 13 (PG13) rating for films will be introduced to complement the existing film-classification system, the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica) announced yesterday.

Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Acting Minister for Mica, said that the new rating "will give parents more accurate information on the suitability of films for teens".

Currently, there are five film-classification categories.

The General (G) rating is for films suitable for the whole family, including children.

The Parental Guidance (PG) rating is for movies that are appropriate for most people but not kids. Parents should guide their children as some scenes could be disturbing for them.

The No Children Under 16 (NC16) rating is for films not appropriate for people aged below 16 as the movie could contain more explicit scenes.

The Mature 18 (M18) classification is for films suitable for viewers aged 18 and above as they have mature themes more suitable for young adults.

The last rating is Restricted 21 (R21), for films which are for those aged 21 and above because of their adult content.

The new PG13 rating, proposed by the Censorship Review Committee, will straddle PG and NC16, and is meant for movies suitable for people aged 13 and above.

But the rating is only an advisory and parents who think their under-13 kids are mature enough can still take them to watch the movie.

Mr Lui said that the PG13 rating was adopted because feedback from the industry indicated that the PG category is too wide.

He added that some films classified as NC16 could be classified as PG13 instead.

Mr Lui cited the example of the Mandarin film Red Cliff, which was rated NC16 for some intimate scenes. But the movie could have been rated PG13 if such a rating had existed then.

There was also feedback from parents that some PG films are "a little too violent or suggestive", said Mr Goh Yew Lin, chairman of the Censorship Review Committee.

One example would be Hollywood blockbuster Dark Knight, which some people felt was not suitable for primary-school children.

It should have been rated PG13, if the classification had been introduced then.

The Government also accepted the review committee's proposal to allow PG films to be screened only after 10pm on free-to-air TV, and for content rated under PG13 to be screened after 11pm with consumer advisory.

Beautician Choi Siew Ping, 45, said she supports the new PG13 rating but felt it is ultimately the parent's responsibility to educate their children.

"I always watch TV shows with my kids and explain what's happening on screen to them," she told my paper.

kennyc@sph.com.sg

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