TEHRAN – The Cinema Organization of Iran introduced a new movie ratings system on Tuesday.

The movie ratings system, which contains three chapters and 16 articles, has been communicated to theater owners, production companies, distributors and producers.

The age-based ratings must be subtitled during the screenings of a movie five times, each time for 30 seconds.

According to the ratings system, “Movies having inappropriate words and scenes are forbidden for children under nine.”

Films with cigarette-smoking characters, “inappropriate language and violence, horror scenes” are forbidden for children under 12

In addition, people under 15 are not allowed to watch scary movies and films with strong language and violence, drug abuse scenes, and relationships that violate common law.

People under 18 are not allowed to watch movies with strong language, extreme violence, drug abuse and marriage relationship scenes.

Based on the system, movies are not allowed to depict ethnic, racial, gender and religious discrimination. 

According to the new regulations, film distributors, movies theaters, movie streaming sites and movie ticket booking sites must inform people of the ratings of movies onscreen.

Disregard for the regulations by the relevant organizations will be prosecuted, the Cinema Organization of Iran noted.        

Photo: This file photo shows filmgoers watching a movie at a theater of Tehran’s Kurosh Cineplex.

MMS/YAW