Media classification

Timeline

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Censoring “obscenity”

1901
Censoring “obscenity”

Australia

Initial censorship decisions determined whether imports were “blasphemous, indecent or obscene”.
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The Battle of Dingjunshan

1905
The Battle of Dingjunshan

China

The first Chinese film was produced in 1905 as The Battle of Dingjunshan (also known as Conquering Jun Mountain, Ding Junshan), coinciding with the emergence of the classic Hollywood silent film era.

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Zigomar

1911
Zigomar

Japan

The French film Zigomar, directed by Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset for the Société Française des Films Eclair, was imported into Japan in 1911, opening in the Asakusa district in November and leading to an array of locally produced sequel films and novels
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Bushranging films censored in New South Wales

1912
Bushranging films censored in New South Wales

Australia

New South Wales was one of the first Australian states to make legislative provision for the censorship of films. The Police department who enforced film censorship found the bushranging genre objectionable.
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The British Board of Film Censors

1913
The British Board of Film Censors

United Kingdom

The British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) were established in 1913 and originally used two categories to classify adult from child content – A and U.
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Film Censorship Begins in India

1918
Film Censorship Begins in India

India

In the 1920s, India imported almost 80 per cent of exhibited films from the United States (ICC 1928). The biggest importer was Jamshedji Framji (J.F.) Madan, who launched Madan Theatres Ltd. in 1919, turning to Hollywood to substitute for stagnating post-war European film industries.
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Cinematograph Act

1918

India

The Cinematograph Act 1918 made it mandatory for exhibitors to secure a license from local civil authorities to screen a film, and for censorship to precede any film exhibited in India. Certified films would be deemed “suitable for public exhibition”.
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Damaged Goods and Social Hygiene Propaganda

1919
Damaged Goods and Social Hygiene Propaganda

Films that depicted the outcomes of sexual activity, miscegenation and prostitution caused problems for censorship authorities utilising obscenity law.

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Battleship Potemkin

1925
Battleship Potemkin

United Kingdom

This propaganda film commemorating the Russian revolution was censored in Britain for 29 years.
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Victorian Film Censorship Act

1926
Victorian Film Censorship Act

Australia

The first age classification system was introduced by the Victorian Film Censorship Act.
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