Why are there trailers for ‘15’ and ’18 films before children’s films?
Trailers are classified as stand alone works. Often they are submitted before a film has arrived at the BBFC or been rated. Examiners note the different issues (eg sex, violence, language) and the theme and tone of the trailer before making a recommendation. Classification decisions may be more restrictive with regard to trailers and advertisements. This is because difficult content in such short works may have a greater impact on an unprepared audience. A film trailer or advertisement can be shown alongside a feature film as long as it has not been classified higher than the category given to that feature. This is still the case if the film trailer is for a feature which has received a classification higher than the film it is being shown alongside. However, as trailers have shorter bursts of action it is possible that snippets from, say, a ‘15’ rated horror film may lack intensity in a short trailer and be containable at ‘12A’. Therefore, theoretically, a trailer for a ’18’ film, if
