‘Mary Poppins’ tops BBFC’s 2024 complaints list, amid a record-breaking year for film classifications

Mary Poppins According to the British Film Classification Committee (BBFC) annual report, they complained the most about the 2024 film release.

The BBFC categorized more film features than ever in 2024. It says this was driven primarily by an increase in the number of South Asian films submitted. The board categorized a total of 1,256 film features in 2024, up 13% with 1,114 films submitted in 2023.

Of the 224 complaints made regarding the BBFC classification, 56 are related to the reclassification of Robert Stephenson’s classics Mary Poppins Following the February 2024 resubmission for distribution by Park Circus. When the film was released by Disney’s Buena Vista International in 1965, it was originally changed to PG in 2024 for discriminatory language due to the use of the term “hottentot.”

In defending its decision, the BBFC said, “While the film has a historical background, the two uses of the discriminatory term “Hottentot” have not been criticized, increasing the risk that a very young audience could repeat it without realizing the possibility of a crime. ”

• Scroll down for complaints from the top 6 categories

The BBFC also received 17 complaints related to ongoing issues in James Cameron’s SF Abyss. That’s what the complaints were Based on internet rumours, the proposed 4K cinema release of the film by Disney has been cancelled as a result of BBFC advice given to Disney regarding the scene in which a man sinks a living liquid mouse.

This scene was re-edited in the release of the 1989 film and all versions of the film categorized by the BBFC. In 2023, when the film was resubmitted, the BBFC supported that the advice it received in 1989 had not changed. Abyss It was ranked third on the list in 2023.

“In regards to complaints surrounding the release, the BBFC does not retain any information on release plans as they are not involved in the release of the film. This is a problem with film distributors,” the annual report states.

Thirteen complaints have been filed regarding the violence at Warner Bros. Dunes: Part 2 Class 12A is too strong for its evaluation, with the knife flagged. The BBFC defended Denis Villeneuve’s classification of epic poems, saying: Dunes: Part 2 It takes place in the context of science fiction, in contrast to a realistic contemporary environment. This includes fantastic weapons and armor rather than recognizable real-world weapons that children may have access to. ”

10 complaints related to AmazonMGM’s Warner Bros. release Saltburndirected by Emerald Fennell, categorized as 15 years old, for strong sex, nude, sexual threats, drug misuse and very strong language. Those who complained felt that the film’s portrayal of sexual obsessions was too intrusive to the 15 films. “Given the film’s black comic tone and the lack of graphic nude and other visual explicitness, while important, Saltburn The BBFC explained.

The 224 complaints made in 2024 represent an increase in 2023, with the BBFC receiving 148 complaints.

Complaints committed by the board not related to BBFC classification, Indian Hindi biographies drama emergency, I most accept that 115 that go beyond the film are categorized based on the story of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandim.

The complaint, in principle, opposed Kangana Rano’s films, raising concerns that were inaccurate and offensive to the Sikh community. “Our guidelines do not require films depicting real events to be virtually accurate. Filmmakers are free to explore real-world issues and controversial themes and subjects,” the BBFC said.

The film was categorized as 15, and was then released by Zee Studios International in January 2025, with social media reports of protests over the release of the film being made at the screening.

The report also reflects the developments that BBFC made in 2024, with a new deal signed between Amazon’s Prime Video and Netflix. This followed a study conducted by the BBFC, indicating that 81% of people wanted streaming titles that were categorized according to the same criteria used for film and physical media releases. The 12-month pilot is nearing its end as Prime Video is approved to generate BBFC age ratings in-house. The BBFC regularly audits Prime Video Classification decisions “to ensure that the self-assessment process achieves a very high level of accuracy.”

Since 2019, a similar agreement has been introduced as Netflix, allowing Netflix to generate age ratings and content advice in line with BBFC standards. The contract extension was established in 2024. That is, the BBFC age rating symbol will be implemented over 100% of UK Netflix content for the next few years, with the BBFC auditing the title each month.

In May 2024, revised guidelines were introduced in response to feedback from 12,000 people. A more careful approach to the 12/15 border sex scene and a classification of violence across categories has increased the flexibility to categorize specific portrayals of drug misuse, including cannabis.

AI Innovation

The BBFC has revealed that it is working closely with global classification bodies to develop a new AI-powered compliance tool, Clear, which can generate multiple local age ratings from a single classification viewing.

Cleard uses human-generated compliance metadata along with AI technology to generate age ratings that reflect local standards across multiple countries. In terms of the market, the tool aims to remove cost and resource barriers that limit the adoption of BBFC ratings and other established rating systems in the UK and internationally.

The second tool being developed by BBFC is hoping to use generation AI to identify and generate metadata related to content issues, streamlining the process of classifying large amounts of content.