International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1930)

- 221 or other form of exhibition (adults or general), and to granting the censorship certificate. Registration is granted in like manner and is subject to the same conditions, restrictions, and prohibitions. Renters or exhibitors, or even producers may however attempt to exhibit in public halls films that have been passed subject to certain conditions, or in respect of which all the obligations laid down in the Regulations have not been duly observed. Now there is an essential difference in character between the first and the second certificate. So far as the registration certificate is concerned, the intervention of a Magistrate is justified by the fact that the conduct of the person thus exhibiting the film amounts practically to an infringement of the law; whereas the ordinary judicial authorities are in no way concerned with any questions arising in connection with the standards of censorship. In both cases, the appeal must be instituted by lodging a written appeal with the Department of Internal Affairs, which forwards it to the competent authority. Both the Board of Appeal and the Magistrate, to whom appeal may be made, must in their decisions adhere as far as possible to the principles governing the censorship of first instance. In the case of the decision of the Censor or Registrar being reversed with respect to any film, the fee payable by the applicant on appeal is refunded to him; otheiwise the fees, deposited in advance, are retained. According to official information received from the Dominion authorities, the police have free access to all public premises where films are exhibited, so as to satisfy themselves that the requirements of the censorship and Registrar have been duly complied with. Motives for censoring. — The reasons governing the decisions of the censorship naturally vary according to the type of film being dealt with. New Zealand, like so many other countries, has no specific rules of censorship covering all cases; both on account of the relatively small number of films dealt with and also because, as in the case of Australia, the motives for censoring are based on general principles, being expressed in a few clear ingl. terms, covering, however, all the contingencies in which intervention may be necessary. In the first place, the Censor must consider whether the films submitted to him — apart from any distinction as to the public to which they are suited — comply with the requisite moral standards. Approval is never given to films which are considered to depict matters contrary to public order and decency, or that may incite to crime. In the second place, the Dominion authorities are concerned with safeguarding the good name of the British Empire and the peoples subject to it (foreign political relations) and they ban all that may cast a reflection on the populations of friendly nations or depict them in an undesirable light. Thirdly, the Censor takes into consideration the technical and artistic value of all films submitted to him. Lastly, the censorship takes into consideration also the titles and captions, as forming an integral part of the film, and sees that the scenes exhibited are not described in any way that may offend good taste or morals. New Zealand Censorship statistics. — The returns here shown cover the 1927-1929 period; the last year coming under the amended law of 1928. The data are of consider abble interest. During the year 1926-27, 2,751 films, of a total length of 5,415,370 feet, were examined. Of this number thirtytwo were wholly rejected and 202 were passed without excision. There was only one appeal against the decision of the Censor, which was upheld by the Board of Appeal. 336 films imported from England and other parts of the British Empire were registered between August 1926 and 31st March 1927, and 1978 films of diverse origin. The average length of the British films examined was 1200 feet while foreign films measured on the average 1987 feet. During the following year 2,333 films, of a total length of 5,813,840 feet were censored. Of this number 69 were rejected in the first instance, 245 were passed subject to excisions, and 44 were passed for adult audiences only. There were 2 appeals