Hoping to save $1.5M, Ontario scraps movie-rating authority

Film review board had fallen behind in rating new movie releases

Premier Doug Ford is pulling Ontario out of the film-rating business for mainstream and porn movies.

The Progressive Conservative government quietly announced late Friday afternoon that it is closing the Ontario Film Authority, a non-profit corporation in charge of the Ontario Film Review Board, and as of Tuesday will rely on ratings from other provinces in a money-saving move.

“Ontario will recognize film classifications from British Columbia for mainstream films and approvals from any Canadian jurisdiction for adult films,” a spokesperson for Government and Consumer Services Minister Lisa Thompson said in a statement.

“The Ontario Film Authority’s rating system was duplicative, unnecessary and burdensome red tape. This was made clear due to the rapidly changing film market,” the aide added.

The curtain is falling amid a shift to digital platforms and streaming services that have “significantly changed” the film authority’s business model, making it “unsustainable,” the spokesperson added.

Ontarians will be consulted in the fall on ways to “modernize” the film classification framework and “maintain consumer protections” with a new system expected to be in place next spring.

Film authority chair Mary Henricksen declined comment on Friday.

In a letter to stakeholders Friday, Thompson’s ministry said the film industry can expect to save a minimum of $1.5 million a year on film rating and licensing costs.

“Ontario will not impose its own fee on film distributors for classifications or approvals conducted by those other jurisdictions,” wrote assistant deputy minister Michele Sanborn.

“The Ontario Film Authority will be winding down its operations and the ministry will look to the industry to consult on ways to better reflect today’s film market.”

Star movie critic Peter Howell reported in January that the Ontario Film Review Board was falling behind in its ratings, not keeping up with the pace of movie releases and leaving films subject to classification with no firm guidance for moviegoers. The Ontario Film Review Board was previously known as the Ontario Censor Board, which was empowered to ban or order cuts to films it considered unsuitable for viewing by the public.

Ontario has five categories for rating films: general or all audiences; parental guidance; 14A (anyone under 14 must be accompanied by an adult); 18A (anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult); and restricted (age18 and over), which applies mostly to hard-core porn films.

“The Ontario Film Authority’s rating system was duplicative, unnecessary and burdensome red tape. This was made clear due to the rapidly changing film market.” GOVERNMENT AND CONSUMER SERVICES MINISTRY