International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1931)

— 956 — educational societies, are, however, considered as public buildings, on account of their special aims and the possibility of their attracting large numbers of people. Composition of the Control Offices: There are no definite indications as regards these offices, but the information communicated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Vienna confirms that government employees are included in all commissions and offices in all countries forming the Federation. The laws of Vorarlberg refer to projections for the public authorities. Art. 7 of the Viennese law refers to the local Senate (Municipal Council) as commissioned to revise the films or invested with the powers of a delegate; for Lower Austria it is a question of individuals acting as delegates for the State; for Styria for police direction; for the Tyrol the control at Innsbruck before a committee of experts for education and child-welfare. Revision: All films of whatever nature, including such as are purely scientific and cultural are, as has been already said, subject to control in nearly all the federal provinces. As a rule, not the producer but the hiring agency is responsible for the notifying of the authorities. The notification must be accompanied by a complete description of the contents, which in the Tyrol and Vorarlberg are given in a resume of the plot. All the advertising, such as mural placards, programs, photographs and all the other material accompanying the films must also be submitted with the film. The purpose of this second aspect of film revision is expressed in the exact terms used by some of the local laws. The Viennese cinematographic law (Art. 9), in fact, prohibits advertisements which would seem to make the film appear immoral, or subtitles awakening a sense of equivocation or curiosity, such as " Evening for Men ", " A Piquant Film ", etc. Thus for the Tyrol and the Vorarlberg, the exhibition of placards and photographs illustrative of the film must not only be hungup vis ibly and accessible to control, but in places previously indicated by the police authorities. The examination of the films is followed by a certificate or censorship card which reproduces all the essential aspects of the film in order to make it easily recognisable for the police. The certificate or censor's card states whether the film is suitable for those under age, and must be quoted in the public advertisements. Criteria of Revision: Film control, in Austria, is based on the criterium of the protection of the mind and morals of minors. The control can, therefore, be exercised from a twofold point of view — the avoidance of immoral films and also of films exalting, or liable to encourage criminality. There is no precise code of the norms and principles adopted and applied in the different districts. Everything is left to the discretion of the government employee. Preventive censorship is in all cases entrusted to the police authorities. In these cases, consideration of morality and criminality, although not ignored, are considered secondary, on the assumption that the organs for State protection have already dealt with them. In Styria, cinematographic projections liable to disturb the public order are prohibited. In the Tyrol there is also the possibility of preventive action against performances offensive to religious sentiment or demoralising to the spectators. Vorarlberg, in addition to principles concerning public order, makes provisions against criminal, anti-religious or immoral films. Foi Vienna, the concept of morality is dominant, and other criteria are admitted as secondary factors, and only when considered absolutely necessary by the police. Auxiliary Organs of Control: State employees may be said to represent auxiliary organs of control of the cinema seeing that they occupy themselves with film censorship and the police authorities. B3th of these have" free access in all