Video nasty is a colloquial term popularised by the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association (NVALA) in the United Kingdom to refer to a number of films, typically low-budget horror or exploitation films, distributed on video cassette that were criticised for their violent content by the press, social commentators, and various religious organisations in the early 1980s. These video releases were not brought before the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) due to a loophole in film classification laws that allowed videos to bypass the review process. The resulting uncensored video releases led to public debate concerning the availability of these films to children due to the unregulated nature of the market.
This article chronicles the history of British film certificates.
The Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO) is the organisation responsible for films, television programmes, and some video game classification and censorship within Ireland. Where restrictions are placed by the IFCO, they are legally binding.
Visions of Ecstasy is a 1989 British short film directed by Nigel Wingrove and starring Louise Downie, Elisha Scott, and Dan Fox. It became the only work to be refused certification by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) on the grounds of blasphemy. The film features sexualised scenes of Saint Teresa of Ávila with the body of Jesus on the cross.
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), previously the British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films exhibited at cinemas and video works released on physical media within the United Kingdom. It has a statutory requirement to classify all video works released on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and, to a lesser extent, some video games under the Video Recordings Act 1984. The BBFC was also the designated regulator for the UK age-verification scheme, which was abandoned before being implemented.
The Sea Around Us is a 1953 American documentary film written and produced by Irwin Allen, based on the book of the same name by Rachel L. Carson. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Robin Arthur Philip Duval was Director of the British Board of Film Classification,, from 1999 to 2004.
Nigel Wingrove is the founder of the horror film company Salvation Films and the Redemption film label and creator of the online alternative female collective, the Satanic Sluts. He is also a film director and the only director to have had a film banned in the UK on the grounds of blasphemy.
Swinging with the Finkels is a 2011 British comedy film directed by Jonathan Newman and starring Mandy Moore, Martin Freeman and Melissa George. The screenplay concerns a wealthy London couple who decide to take up "swinging" in an attempt to save their struggling marriage. The film was picked up by Freestyle Releasing and had a limited release date in the United States on 26 August 2011.
Film censorship in the United Kingdom began with early cinema exhibition becoming subject to the Disorderly Houses Act 1751. The Cinematograph Act 1909 was primarily concerned with introducing annual licensing of premises where films were shown, particularly because of the fire risk of nitrate film. After the Act began to be used by local authorities to control what was shown, the film industry responded by establishing a British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) in 1912, funded by an Incorporated Association of Kinematograph Manufacturers levy.
Patrick Swaffer is a British lawyer who has worked in a wide variety of media organisations. Formerly a legal advisor to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), he was appointed its president by the BBFC's Council of Management after an open competition on 17 October 2012, serving in the role for a decade. Swaffer is known for his input to the Media/Entertainment industry.
Gangs of Tooting Broadway is a 2013 British-Tamil crime drama film directed by Devanand Shanmugam. The film features Nav Sidhu and Kabelan Verlkumar in lead roles. It released on 4 February 2013. The story is based on gang wars between Tamil people and Black people living in Tooting Broadway.
Hate Crime is a 2013 American found footage horror film directed by James Cullen Bressack, co-written by Bressack and Jarret Cohen.
