About
About the Show
AFI'S 10 TOP 10, counts down the top 10 films from 10 classic American film genres, including animation, fantasy, science fiction, gangster, western, sports, romantic comedy, courtroom drama, mystery and epic films.
AFI is Celebrating film genres that have never been honored before by creating 10 new lists within the format previously designed for a top 100.
AFI enlisted film artists associated with each category to count down the top films, while providing their unique insight on each.
The hosts for each genre include: Jessica Alba for Romantic Comedy; Cuba Gooding, Jr. for Sports; Sigourney Weaver for Sci-Fi; Kirk Douglas for Epic; Jennifer Love Hewitt for Animation; James Woods for Courtroom Drama; Gabriel Byrne for Mystery; and Sean Astin for Fantasy. The hosts for Gangster and Western film categories will be announced shortly.
About the Jury Process
This year, the jury was asked to choose up to 10 movies per genre from a comprehensive list, including entries such as: Animated: “Pinocchio” (1941) and “Shrek” (2001); Fantasy: “King Kong” (1933) and “The Lord of the Rings” (2001); Sci-Fi: “The War of the Worlds” (1953) and “The Matrix” (1999); Gangster: “Scarface” (1932) and “The Departed” (2006); Westerns: “The Searchers” (1956) and “Unforgiven” (1992); Sports: “The Pride of the Yankees” (1942) and “Seabiscuit” (2003); Romantic Comedy: “It Happened One Night” (1934) and “My Best Friend's Wedding” (1997); Courtroom Drama: “Witness for the Prosecution” (1957) and “A Few Good Men” (1992); Mystery: “Sherlock Holmes” (1939) and “The Usual Suspects” (1995); and Epics: “Ben-Hur” (1959) and “Braveheart” (1995).
To compile the final list, AFI distributed a ballot with 500 nominated movies (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.
AFI asks jurors to consider the following criteria in their selection process:
FEATURE-LENGTH FICTION FILMS
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 Jan. 1, 2008 will be considered.
GENRE:
ANIMATED
AFI defines “animated” as a genre in which the film's images are primarily created by computer or hand and the characters are voiced by actors.
FANTASY
AFI defines “fantasy” as a genre where live-action characters inhabit imagined settings and/or experience situations that transcend the rules of the natural world.
GANGSTER
AFI defines the “gangster film” as a genre that centers on organized crime or maverick criminals in a twentieth century setting.
SCIENCE FICTION
AFI defines “science fiction” as a genre that marries a scientific or technological premise with imaginative speculation.
WESTERN
AFI defines “western” as a genre of films set in the American West that embodies the spirit, the struggle and the demise of the new frontier.
SPORTS
AFI defines “sports” as a genre of films with protagonists who play athletics or other games of competition.
MYSTERY
AFI defines “mystery” as a genre that revolves around the solution of a crime.
ROMANTIC COMEDY
AFI defines “romantic comedy” as a genre in which the development of a romance leads to comic situations.
COURTROOM DRAMA
AFI defines “courtroom drama” as a genre of film in which a system of justice plays a critical role in the film's narrative.
EPIC
AFI defines “epic” as a genre of large-scale films set in a cinematic interpretation of the past. Their scope defies and demands - either in the mode in which they are presented or their range across time.
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
Including success at the box office, television and cable airing, and DVD/VHS sales and rentals.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
A film's mark on the history of the moving images through visionary narrative devices, technical innovation, or other ground breaking achievements.
CULTURAL IMPACT
A film's mark on American society in matters of style and substance.
AFI allows one write-in vote per genre.
About the American Film Institute
AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com.