Hollywood Rethinks Its Ratings Process

HOLLYWOOD RETHINKS ITS RATINGS PROCESS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: David Halbfinger]
Stung by a low-budget documentary that assailed the movie ratings system last year, motion picture industry officials are vowing to make the system more transparent to filmmakers and more accessible to parents. The most substantive rule change will let aggrieved filmmakers refer on appeal to other movies -- for example, to argue that because another film was permitted to run a similar scene, their film should be permitted to as well. Until now, directors were barred from citing other films when appearing before the appeals board. But ratings officials decline to say that they will cede to precedent; the “context of the entire film” will still guide their decisions. Officials of the Motion Picture Association of America, its Classification and Ratings Administration and the National Association of Theater Owners plan to meet with filmmakers and producers Monday in Park City, Utah, at the Sundance Film Festival to discuss other tweaks to the ratings system.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/18/movies/18rati.html
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