Canadian Home Video Rating System
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Home Video Rating System (CHVRS) is a voluntary rating classification system applied to home video
products such as VHS
and DVD
s. It is administered by the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association
(CMPDA) and as such they appear on American home videos distributed in Canada and not genuine Canadian home videos. Ratings are "averaged" from those assigned by participating provincial film boards: Alberta, British Columbia
, Manitoba
, Maritimes
(New Brunswick
, Nova Scotia
and Prince Edward Island
), Ontario
and Saskatchewan
(whose ratings are determined by British Columbia) and applied by the distributor to home video packaging.
has no standard rating system for the theatrical release of motion pictures; such controls lie in the jurisdiction of the provinces and is enacted through six film classification boards across the country. However, this system for home video (on cassette, DVD, etc.) came into effect in May 1995, at the initiative of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association in order to create a somewhat uniform Canadian ratings system. Unlike the provincial ratings applied to films and home videos, the CHVRS is not legally binding.
While the CHVRS is a voluntary industry classification, various provinces may incorporate it into provincial legislation regarding home video sales and rentals, and it is found on most commercial products. Saskatchewan
, Manitoba
and the Maritime provinces
have regulations requiring CHVRS labelling or the equivalent, while British Columbia
, Alberta
and Ontario
do not, although most or all provinces have additional regulations regarding the labelling and display of adult video material.
In Quebec
, a separate classification system is in effect under provincial law and administered by the Régie du cinéma Québec. All home video products sold in that province must be appropriately labelled.
Not Recommended For Young Children - The film may be inappropriate for young children. An example might be the death of a family pet, a complicated family breakdown, or images considered frightening or disturbing for the very young. "Young Children" would be persons age 8 and under.
Not Recommended For Children - The film may include scenes that reflect a more mature situation, such as drug use/abuse. "Children" would be persons age 13 and under.
Frightening Scenes - The film contains images that might shock or frighten a person. These scenes might be found in a thriller, suspense or war genre.
Mature Theme - Contains images or storylines that may be disturbing or incomprehensible to minors. The film may contain portrayals of domestic violence, racism, religious matters, death, or controversial social issues.
Coarse Language - Product contains profanity, threats, slurs, sexual references, or sexual innuendo.
Crude Content - Material or humour that is unrefined or coarse and that may be seen as harsh, rude, or offensive.
Nudity - Contains images of full frontal, partial, or rear nudity. Context will be determined by the situation, clarity, detail, repetition, and whether the nudity is in a non-sexual or sexual situation.
Sexual Content - Film may contain images and/or verbal references of sexual themes, sexual innuendo, fondling, implied sexual activity and simulated sexual activity.
Violence - May contain restrained portrayals of non-graphic violence, portrayals of violence with some bloodletting and/or tissue damage, and frequent more prolonged portrayals of violence resulting in bloodletting and tissue damage. The degree, frequency and intensity of the acts of violence will be factors in the classification decision.
Disturbing Content - Indicates the expected natural reaction by an audience to any elements of a film, including the tone of a film, pertaining to distress or suffering. This includes the implication or threat of physical and/or psychological violence, even when violence is not depicted.
Substance Abuse - Descriptive scenes depicting the use of illegal substances, the excessive use of tobacco or the use of alcohol resulting in impairment.
Gory Scenes - Graphic images of bloodletting and/or tissue damage. Includes horror or war representations. Degree, frequency, and intensity will also be a major factor in the classification decision.
Explicit Sexual Content - Sexual acts, shown in full, clear, unequivocal and realistic detail, that may or may not be gratuitous to the film.
Brutal Violence - Visually explicit portrayals of violence, which may be characterized by extreme brutality, extreme bloodletting and/or extreme tissue damage. May include images of torture, horror or war.
Sexual Violence - The degradation of an individual in a sexual manner. May contain images of non-consensual acts with the intent to inflict harm, for example, simulated rape, and/or the use of threat to force compliance in sexual activity.
Language May Offend - Contains language that may be offensive to some groups, i.e. sacrilegious language such as Goddamn; also used for PG films that contain expletives.
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
products such as VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s. It is administered by the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association
Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association
The Motion Picture Association - Canada or MPA-C is a film industry trade group which speaks for and represents the major U.S. motion picture studios in Canada for films, television, videos and DVDs...
(CMPDA) and as such they appear on American home videos distributed in Canada and not genuine Canadian home videos. Ratings are "averaged" from those assigned by participating provincial film boards: Alberta, British Columbia
British Columbia Film Classification Office
The British Columbia Film Classification Office, part of the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority in the Canadian province of British Columbia under the Motion Picture Act of BC. The BCFCO ratings are also used by Saskatchewan under the terms of a bilateral agreement...
, Manitoba
Manitoba Film Classification Board
The Manitoba Film Classification Board is part of the Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Tourism of the government of the Canadian province of Manitoba. The organization provides ratings information about film, videos, DVDs, computer and video games rented, sold or shown in Manitoba...
, Maritimes
Maritime Film Classification Board
The Maritime Film Classification Board is a government organization responsible for reviewing films and granting film ratings in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island ....
(New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
), Ontario
Ontario Film Review Board
The Ontario Film Review Board is an agency of the government of the Canadian province of Ontario that is responsible for that province's motion picture rating system...
and Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Film and Video Classification Board
The Saskatchewan Film and Video Classification Board is a board of the Saskatchewan Department of Justice responsible for providing film and video classification documents to movie theatres in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan...
(whose ratings are determined by British Columbia) and applied by the distributor to home video packaging.
Canadian Home Video Ratings System
CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
has no standard rating system for the theatrical release of motion pictures; such controls lie in the jurisdiction of the provinces and is enacted through six film classification boards across the country. However, this system for home video (on cassette, DVD, etc.) came into effect in May 1995, at the initiative of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association in order to create a somewhat uniform Canadian ratings system. Unlike the provincial ratings applied to films and home videos, the CHVRS is not legally binding.
While the CHVRS is a voluntary industry classification, various provinces may incorporate it into provincial legislation regarding home video sales and rentals, and it is found on most commercial products. Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and the Maritime provinces
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
have regulations requiring CHVRS labelling or the equivalent, while British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
do not, although most or all provinces have additional regulations regarding the labelling and display of adult video material.
In Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, a separate classification system is in effect under provincial law and administered by the Régie du cinéma Québec. All home video products sold in that province must be appropriately labelled.
Classifications
The CHV rating system is as follows:| |G - Suitable for viewing by all ages. (1) |
| |PG - Parental guidance advised. Theme or content may not be suitable for all children. (2) |
| |14A - Suitable for people 14 years of age or older. Those under 14 should view with an adult. No rental or purchase by those under 14 where prohibited by law. Parents cautioned. May contain violence, coarse language and/or sexually suggestive scenes. (3) |
| |18A - Suitable for people 18 years of age or older. Persons under 18 should view with an adult. No rental or purchase by those under 18. Parents strongly cautioned. Will likely contain explicit violence, frequent coarse language, sexual activity and/or horror. (4) |
| |R - Restricted to 18 years and older. No rental or purchase by those under 18. Contents not suitable for minors. Contains frequent sexual activity, brutality/graphic violence, intense horror, and/or other disturbing content. (5) |
| |E - Exempt. Contains material not subject to classification, such as documentaries, nature, travel, music, arts and culture, sports and leisure, educational and instructional information. |
Information Pieces
Beginning in 2003, "information pieces" are applied depending on the pieces used by the provinces for a certain film. The information pieces are as follows:Not Recommended For Young Children - The film may be inappropriate for young children. An example might be the death of a family pet, a complicated family breakdown, or images considered frightening or disturbing for the very young. "Young Children" would be persons age 8 and under.
Not Recommended For Children - The film may include scenes that reflect a more mature situation, such as drug use/abuse. "Children" would be persons age 13 and under.
Frightening Scenes - The film contains images that might shock or frighten a person. These scenes might be found in a thriller, suspense or war genre.
Mature Theme - Contains images or storylines that may be disturbing or incomprehensible to minors. The film may contain portrayals of domestic violence, racism, religious matters, death, or controversial social issues.
Coarse Language - Product contains profanity, threats, slurs, sexual references, or sexual innuendo.
Crude Content - Material or humour that is unrefined or coarse and that may be seen as harsh, rude, or offensive.
Nudity - Contains images of full frontal, partial, or rear nudity. Context will be determined by the situation, clarity, detail, repetition, and whether the nudity is in a non-sexual or sexual situation.
Sexual Content - Film may contain images and/or verbal references of sexual themes, sexual innuendo, fondling, implied sexual activity and simulated sexual activity.
Violence - May contain restrained portrayals of non-graphic violence, portrayals of violence with some bloodletting and/or tissue damage, and frequent more prolonged portrayals of violence resulting in bloodletting and tissue damage. The degree, frequency and intensity of the acts of violence will be factors in the classification decision.
Disturbing Content - Indicates the expected natural reaction by an audience to any elements of a film, including the tone of a film, pertaining to distress or suffering. This includes the implication or threat of physical and/or psychological violence, even when violence is not depicted.
Substance Abuse - Descriptive scenes depicting the use of illegal substances, the excessive use of tobacco or the use of alcohol resulting in impairment.
Gory Scenes - Graphic images of bloodletting and/or tissue damage. Includes horror or war representations. Degree, frequency, and intensity will also be a major factor in the classification decision.
Explicit Sexual Content - Sexual acts, shown in full, clear, unequivocal and realistic detail, that may or may not be gratuitous to the film.
Brutal Violence - Visually explicit portrayals of violence, which may be characterized by extreme brutality, extreme bloodletting and/or extreme tissue damage. May include images of torture, horror or war.
Sexual Violence - The degradation of an individual in a sexual manner. May contain images of non-consensual acts with the intent to inflict harm, for example, simulated rape, and/or the use of threat to force compliance in sexual activity.
Language May Offend - Contains language that may be offensive to some groups, i.e. sacrilegious language such as Goddamn; also used for PG films that contain expletives.
Process
In order to determine an average rating, a numerical value is applied to each of the five rating classifications. The eight participating provincial ratings are applied the appropriate numerical value and then an average is calculated. For example, if a film receives five 14As and three 18As, the numerical values would be 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, and 4 (the Maritimes count as three provinces and Saskatchewan is counted separately from British Columbia) which gives an average of 3.4 which would equate to a 14A Canadian Home Video Rating.External links
- The Canadian Home Video Rating System at the CMPDA webpage.