Bristol cinema forced to drop parental screenings after complaint
Watershed says it has received a complaint that it is inappropriate to screen films rated 15 in the presence of babies
A Bristol cinema that puts on special screenings for parents with babies is having to stop them, after someone complained it was showing inappropriate films.
The Watershed cinema on Bristol's Harbourside says it has run "Cinebabies" for more than 15 years for parents with children under one, so they can still visit the cinema without having to worry about the child making too much noise.
However, this week's edition cannot go ahead after Bristol City Council's Licensing Authority received a complaint.
"The basis of the screenings is that they are for the parents and carers - but that they have their babies with them," a post on the cinema's website reads.
"To accommodate the baby part - as they are not watching the film - we show the films with the volume lower and the lights brighter to create a more relaxed atmosphere.
"The babies are variously being fed, being changed, sleeping or crawling on the floor with the parents keeping an eye on the film but also socialising with like-minded new parents.
"Like many cinemas across the UK we have programmed Cinébabies titles from our new release programme and have never restricted what these titles are (ie picked lower certificate films or ones that are more ‘family’ focussed) as it is the adults who are going to be watching the film who are making the decisions about what they want to see."
However, it appears someone considers that inappropriate.
"We have been informed by the Bristol City Council Licensing Authority that they have received a complaint about ‘the alleged access of Children to 15 and 18 Rated films’ at Watershed," the statement continues.
"Whilst the licensing authority are sympathetic to the intention of the Cinebabies screenings in giving new parents access to the full range of our film programme, the licensing is directly linked to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) system."
As a result, from now on only films rated 12A or below will be permitted for Cinebabies screenings "whilst we continue conversations and discussions around what we can do to resolve this matter", a spokesperson adds.
"Unfortunately none of our current films are lower than a 15 certificate which is why we are unable to present a Cinebabies screening this week."
We have asked Bristol City Council for a comment.