AFI 100 Years... series
Annual AFI lists celebrating American cinema from 1998 to 2008.
From 1998 to 2008, the American Film Institute ran a series of annual lists called AFI's 100 Years..., each usually paired with a CBS television special. The project marked a century of American cinema and aimed to spark conversation and renewed interest in classic Hollywood films. Every list was limited to American feature-length movies, mostly released before 2005. The AFI defined an "American film" as an English-language motion picture with significant creative or financial ties to the United States, and a "feature-length film" as a narrative movie typically longer than 60 minutes.
To build each list, the AFI sent ballots with a few hundred nominated films to a jury of over 1,000 industry leaders—including directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers, critics, and historians—who voted on the final rankings.
The series produced the following lists: - 1998: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies – the top "greatest American films of all time" - 1999: AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars – the 50 greatest American "screen legends" (25 women, 25 men), defined as actors or teams whose screen debut came in or before 1950, or whose debut came after 1950 but whose death marked a completed body of work - 2000: AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs – the funniest American films, generally comedies including satire, screwball, slapstick, action comedy, black comedy, musical comedy, romantic comedy, and comedy of manners - 2001: AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – the most "thrilling" American films, focusing on total "adrenaline-inducing impact" that engages both body and mind, regardless of genre - 2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – the "greatest love stories of all time," not limited to romance but involving a romantic bond between characters that drives the narrative - 2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains – the top 50 American film heroes and 50 villains; heroes prevail in extreme circumstances and dramatize morality, courage, and purpose, while villains are defined by wickedness, selfishness, and a will to power, sometimes masked by beauty or nobility - 2004: AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs – the top American movie songs, defined as music and lyrics that set tone, define character, advance plot, or express themes, whether written for the film or selected by the filmmaker - 2005: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes – top American film quotes that circulate through popul
- field
- Film lists and television specials
- nationality
- United States
- known_for
- Annual lists celebrating American cinema (1998–2008)
- years_active
- 1998–2008
Lore & Background
The AFI's 100 Years... series began in 1998 with a list of the top 100 greatest American films of all time, followed by annual lists through 2008. The lists were determined by distributing ballots to a jury of over 1,000 leaders in the creative industry, including film artists, critics, and historians. Each list focused on a different theme, such as stars, laughs, thrills, passions, heroes and villains, songs, movie quotes, film scores, cheers, musicals, and an updated edition of the original movies list in 2007.
Reader's Guide
The AFI's 100 Years... series holds significance as a comprehensive, decade-long project that systematically cataloged and celebrated American cinema through curated lists. By involving over 1,000 industry leaders in the voting process, the series provided a broad, expert-driven perspective on the most important films, stars, and moments in American film history. The lists sparked public debate and renewed interest in classical Hollywood cinema, serving as a reference point for film enthusiasts and scholars. The series' definitions—such as 'American screen legend' requiring a screen debut in or before 1950 or a completed body of work after death—established clear criteria that shaped how audiences and critics discuss film legacies. The inclusion of diverse categories, from love stories to heroes and villains, highlighted the breadth of American filmmaking. The 2007 updated edition of the original 1998 list demonstrated the evolving nature of film canon, removing 23 films and adding 23 others, including 4 from 1996 to 2006. The series remains a touchstone for discussions of American film history and cultural impact.
Did You Know?
- The series ran from 1998 to 2008, with lists typically accompanied by CBS television specials.
- Ballots were distributed to a jury of over 1,000 leaders in the creative industry, including film artists, critics, and historians.
- Two lists—AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores (2005) and AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals (2006)—were presented at the Hollywood Bowl, not on television.
- The 2007 updated edition of the 100 Movies list removed 23 films from the original 1998 list and added 23 new films.
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