“The Regulation on the Procedures and Principles Regarding the Evaluation and Classification of Cinema Films,” which includes the principles regarding the implementation of the New Law on Cinema, was published in the Official Gazette dated Oct. 22, 2019 and entered into force. The regulation includes many important arrangements for the movie industry.
Principle of transparency
The regulation has rendered it mandatory for movie theater operators to forward information about movie theaters, movies screened and movie tickets to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The application prepared by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in which all ticket information sold around the country is collected simultaneously, will be made available for use for sector stakeholders. In this way, transparency in information sharing will be ensured while contributing to the stakeholders' ability to continue their activities in a reliable environment. Furthermore, the statistics obtained will be used in sectoral reporting and future estimations, and will be an important source in sectoral planning.
Ad duration limited to 10 minutes
The regulation limits the duration of ads, which are a frequent complaint from cinema audiences, to 10 minutes. In addition, trailers that affect the cinema audience's preferences to go to the cinema and allow the promotion of the films are required to be screened for at least three minutes before the movie.
Popcorn war ends
The problem known as the “popcorn war,” which has caused a crisis between movie theater operators and producers, will be removed with the article stipulating: “Movie theater operators or other real or legal persons who sell movie tickets cannot sell another product along with a movie ticket at the same time and cannot bind the cinema ticket to the purchase of another product or service.” Movie theater operators are allowed to make separate discounts on tickets and other product prices; however, they will not be able to sell other products with the cinema ticket as a package.
Cinema ticket discount types diversified
Within the framework of contracts made between the producers or distributors of films, movie theater operators can make discounts on “tickets of a certain age and above,” “disabled tickets,” “martyr's relatives and veterans tickets,” “people's day tickets,” “internet tickets,” “public professional group tickets,” “student tickets” and “morning session tickets.” People's days, which are in great demand by the cinema audience, can now be implemented two days a week.
Age ratings for motion pictures changing
Regarding motion pictures produced within the country or imported, the age ratings implemented to protect children have been re-regulated as “general audience, 6A, 6+, 10A, 10+, 13A, 13+, 16+ and 18+” in line with the physical and psychological development of children, international practices and expert opinions.
Trailers to be classified
Public discomfort about the screening of trailers that are suitable for adults, especially before children's films, will be eliminated with the article stipulating: “The trailers screened before or between the motion picture must comply with the signs and phrases specified for the motion picture.” Trailers will now be classified like movies and families will not see horror movie trailers during children's films.
Simultaneous screening on cinema and other platforms ends
The regulation stipulates: “Motion pictures evaluated and classified, which will be commercially available for the first time in movie theaters, cannot be broadcast and conveyed to the public in paid environments such as cable, satellite, terrestrial, internet and other media for five months and in free-to-air environment such as satellite, terrestrial, Internet and other media for six months.” Under the regulation made for the protection of the movie industry, motion pictures will not be shown on paid platforms for five months after the date of release and on free platforms for six months after the release.