Our monthly update shines a spotlight on the great work done to inform and empower New Zealanders No images? Click here MARCH NEWSLETTER Kia ora koutou Because we watch a lot of movies our tari is pretty invested in that annual cinephile highlight that is the Academy Awards. On Monday we were thrilled to see Asian representation on screen being rewarded and celebrated with Everything Everywhere All at Once taking out many awards including Best Picture. Check out our Quick Take for this film, which we classified last year. If you haven't yet seen it in this universe and are now considering catching it at one of the second chance screenings note that it is R13 with warnings for violence, offensive language, sexual references and content that may disturb. Our March mahi continues apace with our first Censor for a Day screenings since May 2021 about to get underway with schools in Wellington. We've missed being able to host these in-cinema education sessions with students; we screen a new release movie and then take them through the steps to classify the film. We'll be planning more Censor for a Day sessions around the motu for term two and will share more details in our April newsletter. Our newsletters generally talk about topics like sex, drugs, and the media content landscape. Our aim is to have difficult conversations and shine a light on ways to reduce harm for New Zealanders. If you know someone who should receive these updates, please share our newsletter or encourage them to subscribe here. Be sure to follow our socials too. Aroha atu, aroha mai, tātou i a tātou — Chief Censor Caroline Flora #Mātakitahi #WatchTogether #Kōrerotahi #TalkTogether Image: Michelle Yeoh accepts the Oscar for Best Actress at the 2023 Academy Awards for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Take It Down International help is available to help take down nudes online for people under 18. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s hash technology empowers victims of illegal nude sharing to register their image or video safely and report it via an online portal. This creates a unique digital fingerprint (a "hash") of the file that distinguishes it from other images and videos – without the image or video being shared from a user's device. Online platforms who participate in this international programme scan their public or unencrypted platforms for the 'hashes'. This allows them to act immediately to limit the spread of the explicit content. This resource is available at takeitdown.ncmec.org In New Zealand Netsafe offer support and advice about the dangers of sharing nudes online and about sextortion (blackmail from the sharing of nude or nearly nude images and/or videos). ![]() Why use parental controls?To keep our tamariki safe, any time its screen timeYou want your young ones to be safe during screen time. And screen time doesn’t just happen in the home. Whether at the café or in the car, on a phone, an iPad, or a laptop, parental controls are your parenting hack. We’ve got the guide to each of the major streaming providers’ parental controls to help keep tamariki safe whatever the device. Know the rating, set the level. You’re in control with parental controls on your favourite streaming platform. Our up-to-date parental controls resource is available here. The 'Bluey' parenting hackCaitlin writes about her tips on how to start those tricky conversations when your kids are young: "It feels like the options are slim for what we can mātaki tahi – watch together. BUT we have managed to find a series that my daughter and I can both enjoy (and it’s roughly only 7 minutes per episode). Yes! I am talking about the Australian animated series Bluey. I am assuming that this a favourite in a lot Kiwi homes who have younger tamariki. The first season is currently on Neon who self-rated it G: Suitable for general audiences. When it ends I ask my daughter a few questions:
It might seem like I am just affirming the messages of the show, but what I am also doing is encouraging her to think critically about what she is watching." Read on for more tips about talking with your tamariki. What is an RP classification and why is Women Talking RP13? Our most recent RP classification is for Women Talking (released in New Zealand on 16 February 2023), which received an RP13. This classification means that people younger than 13 can watch the film, but only with a parent/guardian. Rangatahi aged 13 and over can see the film on their own, or with anyone else 13 or older. The film covers difficult conversations between women about sexual assault in a closed Canadian Mennonite community. This is a heavy topic, worthy of discussion for people who are navigating their own difficult conversations, making sense of the world and each other, and learning empathy for their peers. Cinema has the power to transport and transform, which is why we didn’t make this decision lightly. We believe this film has merit for young people, and that it is safe for them to view and discuss it, despite the difficult subject matter. Read more on the blog. In the media, Stuff's film reviewer Graeme Tuckett takes a look at the film and our classification decision: Women Talking given NZ's rarest rating Why did Scream VI get this classification?R16: Graphic violence and content may disturb Sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega), and their friends Chad and Mindy, have relocated to New York after surviving the most recent series of Ghostface attacks in Woodsboro. Shortly after their arrival a new killer donning the distinctive Ghostface mask begins a streak of murders. This film was classified by the Office with input from members of our Youth Advisory Panel and received an R16: Graphic violence and content may disturb. Read our Quick Take for a breakdown of the classification. Why did Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania get this rating?M: Violence Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), along with Hank, Janet and Scott’s daughter Cass, traverse the mysterious Quantum Realm discovering new life and civilisations. They are pushed to their limits after discovering a new threat and are forced to fight in order to save the entire multiverse. This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body and received an M: Violence. Read our Quick Take for a breakdown of the rating. Why did Cocaine Bear get this classification?R16: Graphic violence, drug use and offensive language Bags of cocaine are consumed by a black bear in an American park causing it to go berserk. The park’s visitors find themselves caught in its violent killing spree. This film was classified by the Office and received an R16: Graphic violence, drug use and offensive language. Read our Quick Take for a breakdown of the classification. ![]() Because our work involves a broad knowledge of the vast online landscape, we consume a lot of media in the office. Here are just a few of the things we’ve found relevant and informative over the past month. Take a break, with these media lunch items. Social media dangers exposed by mum posing as 11 year old (Bark) Will UK’s online safety bill protect children from adult material? (The Guardian)
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