100 Years...100 Movies

AFI's 10 Top 10
Film Genres

Part 1 (Animated Films)




The American Film Institute in Los Angeles, California, in 2008 honored America’s 10 greatest films in 10 classic film genres. The jury was asked to choose up to 10 movies per genre from a comprehensive list.

To compile the final list, AFI distributed a ballot with 500 Nominated Films (50 per genre) to a jury of over 1,500 leaders from the creative community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers), critics and historians.

In previous years, the AFI has also produced other lists of the following:

AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies (1998) (original)
400 Greatest American Films (nominees) (original)
Read this site's Commentary on AFI's 100 Greatest American Movies (original)

100 Greatest American Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)

AFI asked jurors to consider the following criteria in their selection process:

  • Feature-length: Narrative format typically over 60 minutes in length.

  • American film: English-language film with significant creative and/or production elements from the United States. Additionally, only films released before January 1, 2008 were considered.

  • Critical Recognition: Formal commendation in print, television, and digital media.

  • Major Award Winner: Recognition from competitive events including awards from peer groups, critics, guilds and major film festivals.

  • Popularity Over Time: This includes success at the box office, television and cable airings, and DVD/VHS sales and rentals.

  • Historical Significance: A film's mark on the history of the moving image through visionary narrative devices, technical innovation or other groundbreaking achievements.

  • Cultural Impact: A film's mark on American society in matters of style and substance.

Note: The films that are marked with a yellow star are the films that "The Greatest Films" site has selected as the 100 Greatest Films.



AMERICA's 10 Top 10
Film Genres

Part 1 (Animated Films)
Please see this site's extensive section on Animated Films

Animated Films:

AFI described animated films as "a genre in which the film's images are primarily created by computer or hand and the characters are voiced by actors. A skillful combination of caricature and artistry, animation amplifies reality, offering stories that are visually stylized, but emotionally truthful. Whether it's a minimalist black squiggle or a full-blown tour-de-force of color and movement, animation allows imaginary characters and inanimate objects to spring vividly to life."

Nominees: 32 of the 50 films on the ballot were made by the Walt Disney Company; 13 were produced by Walt Disney himself. 17 of the 50 films are computer animated.

Winners: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( 1937) (# 1), Pinocchio (1940) (# 2), Bambi (1942) (# 3), The Lion King (1994) (# 4), Fantasia (1940) (# 5), Toy Story (1995) (# 6), Beauty and the Beast (1991) (# 7), Shrek (2001) (# 8), Cinderella (1950) (# 9), and Finding Nemo (2003) (# 10)

Comments: Disney films ruled the winning top 10, taking the top 5 positions. Shrek (2001) was the only non-Disney/Pixar in the top 10. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) deserved a top 10 spot. The Simpsons Movie (2007) should have been a top 50 nominee.


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