Last week the Classification Operations Branch (COB) refused to exempt eight films from classification to allow them to be screened at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF).

One of the banned films was Ashley and Kisha: Finding the Right Fit, a documentary by Tony Comstock following the real life story of an African-American lesbian couple which includes them having sex. A number of other films containing real sex including, 9 Songs, Romance and Shortbus have been issued R classifications and can be screened legally in Australia.

No-one at COB saw Ashley and Kisha, refusing an exemption on the grounds that it would be likely to earn an X rating on the basis of Comstock’s previous work.

The latest crackdown raises questions about the classification process. Comstock claims that the Australian system is particularly strict because it is mandatory.  In the US it is voluntary.

He says the primary audience for his erotic documentaries is niche video stores like gay outlet Out Video, which was recently forced to stop selling unclassified films – more than half its stock – after a visit by a representative from the federal Attorney-General’s Department. Gay and lesbian bookstore, Hares and Hyenas, was also contacted by the Attorney-General’s department. All material is freely available on the internet.

Out Video owner Paul Hollingworth said it is difficult to tell whether gay and lesbian material is under particular scrutiny. “Although a local Club X store has never been contacted by the Attorney-General’s department,” he said.

X rated and unclassified material is openly sold in sex shops throughout Victoria despite the ban. It costs $1830 to apply for classification for a film of up to two hours’ duration, and challenging a classification decision costs $8000.

All appointments to the Classification Board and the Classification Review Board are made by the Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock.

Director of the Classification Board, former ABC chair and friend of the Prime Minister, Donald McDonald declined to speak to bnews.

More information on film classification http://www.classification.gov.au

There is a petition on the Out Video website: http://www.outvideo.com.au

by ADAM QUAYLE

 
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