Rethinking My Film Classification

After changing the screenplay I thought that I could also lower the age certification on my short film. I don't want to change my audience, only the certification. I still want my audience to respond to the content maturely and thoughtfully, but on a legal and promotional level my short film is more likely to be financially successful if it is available to more people. 

My screenplay no longer use profanity because I thought that in a voiceover it wouldn't be effective. Plus there is now much less background depth focusing on Dylan's upbringing as a 'street kid', as I have condensed this down to keep the narrative relevant to the events that unfold on screen. Although it adds to the characterisation of Dylan and explains his drastic actions, I think that in a short film audiences need to be immersed in the current context as quickly as possible, so background exposition is not as necessary. Therefore it is better left as something which is implied rather than directly addressed in the dialogue. 

So although originally I wanted the classification of my film to be a 15 due to the maturity of its themes and exploration of two different approaches to grief as a result of lifestyles, I think that I am now going to downgrade this rating to a 12. I feel that 12 is a better choice because tonally the film becomes less threatening and more philosophical, evaluating the point of violence and the value of forgiveness. Therefore anyone under 12 is unlikely to understand this, hence why I am not reducing it to a 12A. The BBFC's statement about 12 films using Threat has been copied below:  

Threat

There may be moderate physical and psychological threat and horror sequences. Although some scenes may be disturbing, the overall tone should not be. Horror sequences should not be frequent or sustained.

I think that my film will conform to these guidelines, with some possible physical and psychological threats that aren't disturbing but more thought-provoking. I am hoping that the overall tone of my short film will be enjoyable rather than repulsive.  That being said I still want to encourage adolescent audiences rather than teenaged audiences because I feel as though this is the type of film that appeals to older viewers who are willing to reflect on the issues being addressed. My decision to adapt the certification comes from a reevaluation of the content rather than the audience, who I intend to keep the same as originally proposed. Younger audiences can still watch it, but I am less certain it will be viewed with as much appreciation.