Australia
E Exempt from Classification. (Used for rating documentaries and educational content.)
G For General Exhibition.
PG Parental Guidance Recommended.
M Recommended for Mature Audiences (PG and M are recommended ratings only and carry no legal weight.)
MA15+ Restricted to Mature Audiences 15 years and over. (Audiences must be 15 years and over or accompanied by a person 18 years and over.)
R18+ Restricted to audiences over the age of 18 years.
X18+ Restricted to audience over the age of 18 years. (Only used in rating pornographic content. Such content cannot be violent. Films rated X18+ can only be sold in stores in Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory; films can be ordered interstate through mail order. In other states, the R rating is used to pass non-hardcore pornography or edited/censored works.*)
RC Refused Classification. (Film is effectively banned.)
When it comes to rating films, Australia’s rating board (the OFLC) are a decidedly liberal organisation. The organisation does not cut films of its own accord. Rather than censorship, there is a focus on “informing choices”. As such, Australia has a ridiculous amount of ways to say what seems to be the same thing. Cartoon violence, Sci-fi violence, realistic violence, mild violence, strong violence, graphic violence, high level violence, fantasy violence, etc. And often uses warnings such as “abortion themes” or “paedophile themes” or “scary themes” to inform the viewer of possibly objectionable content. These warnings are according to the rating level and amount of content. A small amount of focus on abortion in an R rated film may not be touched upon in the rating, but the same amount of focus in an M rated film may warrant the warning because of the lower target audience.
*Hardcore sex is not unheard of in the R rating, provided it can be proved the film has artistic merit. The recent film 9 Songs was passed with an R rating as is, following debate over whether it should be passed with an X rating (effectively labelling it porn).
OFLC: http://www.classification.gov.au/
