According to the Act on the Classification of Audiovisual Programmes in force, audio-visual programmes exhibited or distributed solely to adults have been exempted from compulsory prior classification. These films may thus not be exhibited or distributed to persons who have not attained the age of 18.

Also certain audio-visual programme contents have been exempted from compulsory prior classification although they are exhibited or distributed to persons who have not attained the age of 18. A notification shall, however, be submitted to the Finnish Board of Film Classification of these audio-visual programmes.

Persons who have not attained the age of 18 may be exhibited and distributed programmes without classification:

1) which have been produced solely for the purpose of instruction or other cultural pursuit, for scientific research or for hobby pursuits;

2) which have been produced solely for marketing purposes with the exception of marketing of an audio-visual programme for persons who have not attained the age of 18;

3) which solely or primarily contain musical performances or reproductions of cultural or sportive events or devotional services or other corresponding occasions and events;

4) which solely contain topical news material;

5) which contain animations, presentations of play, hobby or other corresponding activities suitable for viewing by children of all ages; or

6) which deal with tourism, the environment or comparable subjects.

If the programmes referred to above, however, contain material that is detrimental to children, the Finnish Board of Film Classification shall have the right to request them for prior classification in order to determine the age category.

Audio-visual programmes exempted from classification and the duty to notify

Audio-visual programmes exempted from classification may be exhibited also to persons who have not attained the age of 18 in the activities of a university, a polytechnic or other publicly supervised educational establishment as well as a public library and the Finnish Film Archives, and at a conference dealing with scientific or artistic matters, at a meeting of a learned society and at comparable events. If the films to be exhibited have been classified earlier, the age categories must, however, be complied with.

No notification need be submitted to the Finnish Board of Film Classification of films to be exhibited in events referred to above.

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