Vietnam allows screening of 18+ movies from 2017

According to the new ratings by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, movies are labeled based on four age restrictions before reaching theaters across Vietnam.

The classifications include films that are suitable to general audience, with all ages admitted, and movies that are only allowed for viewers of at least 13, 16 and 18 years of age, respectively.

The respective labels for the four categories are P, 13+, 16+ and 18+.

The rating system is quite different from that of the Motion Picture Association of America, which includes such ratings as G (General audience), PG (Parental Guidance Suggested), PG-13 (may be inappropriate for children under 13), R (Restricted - under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) and NC-17 (Adults Only).

The 18+ rating applied in Vietnam is similar to the NC-17, which is worded as “no one 17 and under admitted.”

According to the culture ministry, the ratings are based on such parameters as the film theme, topic, language, content and the level of untidy, sexual and violent scenes, as well as the use of drugs.

Until today, the companies that release adult films in Vietnam usually have to cut all explicit scenes to be allowed to screen the works as 16+ movies.

The new rating system, which finally allows films intended for adult viewers to be screened, is therefore hugely welcomed by Vietnam’s film industry.

Local filmmakers said they will no longer have to worry if their works are banned from screening for explicit content, while releasing firms can now sigh a breath of relief as they will no longer have to show cut movies to fans at the expense of their complaints.

A recent flick released late 2016, Chay Di Roi Tinh, was in an ironic situation when it was forced to be labeled as 16+ because Vietnam was then yet to have the 13+ rating. Consequently, a young actor of the film was not allowed to watch his own movie as he is under 16 years old.