Watershed started Cinebabies over 15 years ago to give new parents and carers with babes-in arms (under 1 year old) access to our cultural film programme. The basis of the screenings is that they are for the parents and carers - but that they have their babies with them. 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.

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.  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. This means at present we are only able to show 12A (or under) certificate films for Cinebabies whilst we continue conversations and discussions around what we can do to resolve this matter. 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.

Please email us your thoughts and opinions - communications@watershed.co.uk - which we will keep and compile as part of our efforts to resolve this.

We will keep you posted on where we get to and if you would like get in touch about this please do send us an email.

Thank you

Team Watershed xx

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