AFI's 100 YEARS...100 CHEERS

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Tops AFI's List Of
100 Most Inspiring Films Of All Time

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, SCHINDLER'S LIST, ROCKY
and MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
Round Out The Top Five

AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers revealed the most inspiring films of all time in a three-hour special television event which aired June 14, 2006 on CBS with commentary from many of Hollywood's most celebrated actors and filmmakers, including Jessica Alba, Don Cheadle, Melissa Etheridge, Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Kingsley, Sidney Poitier, Mickey Rooney and Steven Spielberg.

A jury of 1,500 film artists, critics and historians selected the classic IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, starring James Stewart, as the most inspiring movie of all time.

AFI Life Achievement Award
A Tribute to Sidney Poitier
Click to watch video.

To See Other Great Tributes...

In a continuation of AFI's celebration of the first 100 years of cinema, ERIN BROCKOVICH, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, NORMA RAE, ROCKY, SEABISCUIT, THE SOUND OF MUSIC and hundreds more will vie for the title of "Most Inspiring Film of The Century." AFI's 100 Years . . . 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies will count down America's 100 most inspiring films, as chosen by experts of the motion picture community, in a three-hour television event on the CBS Television Network in June 2006.

"Over the years, the movies have given us something to cheer about," stated Jean Picker Firstenberg, AFI's Director and CEO. "The past few years have not been easy in America--from September 11th to the devastation of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers will celebrate the films that inspire us, encourage us to make a difference and send us from the theatre with a greater sense of possibility and hope for the future."

For the ninth consecutive year, the primetime special will be executive produced and directed by Gary Smith; executive produced for AFI by former AFI Board chair Frederick S. Pierce; and produced by Dann Netter and Bob Gazzale. SFM Entertainment LLC is the distributor of the program. Past sponsors of the series have included General Motors, Pepsi, Johnson & Johnson, Best Buy, Anheuser-Busch, Colgate-Palmolive, SBC and all major motion picture companies.

About the Jury Process

AFI distributed a ballot in November 2005 with 300 nominated inspiring movies to a jury of over 1,500 leaders from the creative community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers), critics and historians.

The jury have been asked to choose up to 100 inspirational films from a comprehensive list, including entries such as APOLLO 13, BREAKING AWAY, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, THE COLOR PURPLE, DEAD MAN WALKING, DEAD POET'S SOCIETY, 8 MILE, ERIN BROCKOVICH, FIELD OF DREAMS, GANDHI, GOOD WILL HUNTING, GOODBYE MR. CHIPS, HOOSIERS, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, THE KARATE KID, NATIONAL VELVET, NORMA RAE, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, RAIN MAN, ROCKY, SCHINDLER'S LIST, SEABISCUIT, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

Due to the extensive number of movies that inspire in American film, jurors may also write in votes for up to five films that may not already appear on the ballot.

The jurors have been asked to consider the following criteria in making their selections:

CRITERIA

FEATURE-LENGTH FICTION FILM
Narrative format, typically over 60 minutes in length.

AMERICAN FILM
English language film with significant creative and/or production elements from the United States.

CHEERS
Movies that inspire with characters of vision and conviction who face adversity and often make a personal sacrifice for the greater good. Whether these movies end happily or not, they are ultimately triumphant--both filling audiences with hope and empowering them with the spirit of human potential.

LEGACY
Films whose "cheers" continue to echo across a century of American cinema.

*AFI defines an American film as an English language motion picture with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States. AFI defines a feature-length film as a motion picture of narrative format that is typically over 60 minutes in length. Only feature-length American films released before January 1, 2005, will be considered.

Interesting Facts about the Ballot

Tom Hanks and Henry Fonda are the most represented male actors on the ballot with eight inspiring movies each. Sidney Poitier, Gary Cooper and Denzel Washington each have seven movies on the ballot.

Jean Arthur is the most represented female actor on the ballot with four movies.

Frank Capra and Steven Spielberg each have six inspiring movies on the ballot, leading all directors. Capra's films are MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN ('36), YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU ('38), MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON ('39), MEET JOHN DOE ('41) IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE ('46) and POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES ('61); while Spielberg directed CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND ('77), E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL ('82), THE COLOR PURPLE ('85), SCHINDLER'S LIST ('93), AMISTAD ('97) and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN ('98).

Over one third of the movies on the ballot are movies inspired by real life people and events.

1939 is the most represented year on the ballot, with 12 inspiring movies.

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