Agenda and minutes

Councillors and officers are invited to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No interests were declared.

To consider whether it is in the public interest to exclude the public during consideration of Agenda Items 5 (Licensing Act 2003: Application for the Classification of Films) as the matter for consideration (the film) contains information which is ‘not for publication’ in accordance with Section 14(2) of The Licensing Act 2003 (Hearings) Regulations 2005 by virtue of the film being unclassified at the point of viewing, and where the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

RESOLVED – That the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of agenda item 5 – ‘Licensing Act 2003: Application for the Classification of Films’  in accordance with Section 14(2) of The Licensing Act 2003 (Hearings) Regulations 2005 to allow the Sub-Committee to view a film which had not yet been classified for public exhibition.  It would not, on balance, be in the public interest to allow the unrestricted public viewing of the films prior to their classification by the Sub-Committee and therefore the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Chair and members of the Sub-Committee on any matters within the powers and duties of the Sub-Committee, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice. (Questions must be submitted prior to the commencement of the meeting on the cards provided.  These are available at the meeting).

No public questions were submitted.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration.

The report details an application from James Mullighan on behalf of The Bagri Foundation for classification of one feature film and 6 short films for public exhibition in Stockport.

The Sub-Committee is recommended to consider an application from James Mullighan on behalf of The Bagri Foundation to classify films that have not been classified by the BBFC.

Officer contact: Caitriona Muldoon on 0161 474 4162 or email: caitriona.muldoon@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing an application submitted by James Mullighan on behalf of The Bagri Foundation for classification of one feature film and six short films for public exhibition at Stokport Plaza, Stockport as part of the ‘South Asian Film Festival Up North’.  None of the films had received certification from the British Board of Film Classification.

Specifically, the Sub-Committee was asked to consider classifications for the following films:-

·         Kattumaram (Catamaran) (73 minutes)

·         Nooreh (22 minutes)

·         Alien Culture (16 minutes)

·         These Silences are all the Words (15 minutes)

·         U Ushacha (21 minutes)

·         Kark Pawan (26 minutes)

·         Rammat Gammat (17 minutes)

It was noted that the applicant had requested that the feature length film ‘Kattumaram’ be awarded a certification of 12A, while the remaining shorts be each awarded a certification of 15.

The Sub-Committee viewed the films as part of its consideration of the application.

The Sub-Committee then proceeded to consider the protection of children from harm licensing objective in respect of the application together with the relevant parts of the Council’s Licensing Policy and the BBFC Classification Guidance.

It was then

RESOLVED – (1) (2 for, 1 against) That ‘Kattumaram’ be awarded a 12A rating for public exhibition on the grounds that the film had infrequent discriminatory language but not endorsed, moderate sex references and threat.

(2) That ‘Nooreh’ be awarded a 15 rating for public exhibition on the grounds that the film contained some scenes of danger and moderate bad language.

(3) That ‘Alien Culture’ be awarded a 15 rating for public exhibition on the grounds that the film contained some scenes of danger and moderate bad language.

(4) That ‘These Silences are all the Words’ be awarded a 15 rating for public exhibition on the grounds that the film contained some scenes of danger and moderate bad language.

(5) That ‘U Ushacha’ be awarded a 15 rating for public exhibition on the grounds that the film contained some scenes of danger and moderate bad language.

(6) That ‘Kark Pawan’ be awarded a 15 rating for public exhibition on the grounds that the film contained some scenes of danger and moderate bad language.

(7) That ‘Rammat Gammat’ be awarded a 15 rating for public exhibition on the grounds that the film contained some scenes of danger and moderate bad language.