LeoGlossary: American Film Institute (AFI)

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The American Film Institute (AFI) is a non-profit organization founded in 1967 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was established to preserve the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States and to educate filmmakers.

The AFI was founded by a group of prominent people in the film industry, including George Stevens, Jr., Gregory Peck, John Ford, and Bette Davis. The organization's first director was George Stevens, Jr., and its current CEO is Bob Gazzale.

The AFI has a number of programs and initiatives, including:

  • The AFI Conservatory: A two-year graduate film school that offers training in directing, cinematography, editing, producing, production design, and screenwriting. The Conservatory has produced some of the most successful filmmakers working today, including David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, and Terrence Malick.
  • The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center: A performing arts center in Silver Spring, Maryland, that shows classic and contemporary films and hosts a variety of events, including the AFI Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival. The Silver Theatre is one of the leading venues in the country for showcasing independent and foreign films.
  • The AFI National Film Preservation Board: A board of film scholars and industry professionals that selects 25 films each year to be added to the National Film Registry. The Registry is a list of films that are deemed to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
  • The AFI Life Achievement Award: An award that is given annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the film industry. Past recipients of the award include Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, and Tom Hanks.

In addition to the above, the AFI also publishes a variety of educational materials, including books, articles, and online resources. It also hosts a number of public events, such as screenings, lectures, and workshops.

The AFI is a vital resource for filmmakers, film scholars, and film enthusiasts alike. It is a place where people can learn about the history of cinema, see classic and contemporary films, and meet and network with other people who are passionate about film.

Here are some additional details about the AFI's work in preserving and celebrating American cinema:

  • The AFI has helped to restore and preserve over 10,000 films, including many classics such as Citizen Kane and The Wizard of Oz.
  • The AFI has created a number of educational programs and resources, including the AFI Catalog of Feature Films, the AFI Digital Collections, and the AFI Archive.
    The AFI hosts a variety of public events, including the AFI Film Festival, the AFI Docs Film Festival, and the AFI Awards.
  • The AFI is a valuable asset to the American film industry and to the public. It is an organization that is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of American cinema.

Top 100 Films

Here is a list of the Top 100 Films:

FilmRelease yearDirectorProduction companies1998 Rank2007 Rank
Citizen Kane1941Orson WellesRKO Radio Pictures11
Casablanca1942Michael CurtizWarner Bros. Pictures23
The Godfather1972Francis Ford CoppolaParamount Pictures, Alfran Productions32
Gone with the Wind1939Victor FlemingSelznick International Pictures46
Lawrence of Arabia1962David LeanHorizon Pictures57
The Wizard of Oz1939Victor FlemingMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer610
The Graduate1967Mike NicholsLawrence Turman717
On the Waterfront1954Elia KazanHorizon-American Pictures819
Schindler's List1993Steven SpielbergAmblin Entertainment98
Singin' in the Rain1952Gene Kelly, Stanley DonenMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer105
It's a Wonderful Life1946Frank CapraLiberty Pictures1120
Sunset Boulevard1950Billy WilderParamount Pictures1216
The Bridge on the River Kwai1957David LeanHorizon-American Pictures1336
Some Like It Hot1959Billy WilderAshton Productions, The Mirisch Company1422
Star Wars1977George LucasLucasfilm1513
All About Eve1950Joseph L. Mankiewicz20th Century-Fox1628
The African Queen1951John HustonHorizon Enterprises, Romulus Films1765
Psycho1960Alfred HitchcockShamley Productions1814
Chinatown1974Roman PolanskiLong Road Productions1921
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975Miloš FormanFantasy Films2033
The Grapes of Wrath1940John Ford20th Century-Fox2123
2001: A Space Odyssey1968Stanley KubrickMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer2215
The Maltese Falcon1941John HustonWarner Bros. Pictures2331
Raging Bull1980Martin ScorseseChartoff-Winkler Productions244
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial1982Steven SpielbergUniversal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment2524
Dr. Strangelove1964Stanley KubrickHawk Films, Polaris Productions2639
Bonnie and Clyde1967Arthur PennTatira-Hiller Productions2742
Apocalypse Now1979Francis Ford CoppolaOmni Zoetrope2830
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939Frank CapraColumbia Pictures2926
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre1948John HustonWarner Bros. Pictures3038
Annie Hall1977Woody AllenUnited Artists3135
The Godfather Part II1974Francis Ford CoppolaThe Coppola Company3232
High Noon1952Fred ZinnemannStanley Kramer Productions3327
To Kill a Mockingbird1962Robert MulliganPakula-Mulligan Productions, Brentwood Productions3425
It Happened One Night1934Frank CapraColumbia Pictures3546
Midnight Cowboy1969John SchlesingerJerome Hellman Productions3643
The Best Years of Our Lives1946William WylerSamuel Goldwyn Productions3737
Double Indemnity1944Billy WilderParamount Pictures3829
Doctor Zhivago1965David LeanCarlo Ponti Productions39-
North by Northwest1959Alfred HitchcockMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer4055
West Side Story1961Robert Wise, Jerome RobbinsBeta Productions, The Mirisch Company, Seven Arts Productions, B & P Enterprises4151
Rear Window1954Alfred HitchcockParamount Pictures, Patron4248
King Kong1933Merian C. CooperRKO Radio Pictures4341
The Birth of a Nation1915D. W. GriffithDavid W. Griffith Corp.44-
A Streetcar Named Desire1951Elia KazanWarner Bros. Pictures, Charles K. Feldman Productions4547
A Clockwork Orange1971Stanley KubrickPolaris Productions, Hawk Films4670
Taxi Driver1976Martin ScorseseB & P Enterprises, Italo-Judeo4752
Jaws1975Steven SpielbergUniversal Pictures, Zanuck/Brown Company4856
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs1937David Hand, et al.Walt Disney Productions4934
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid1969George Roy HillCampanile Productions5073
The Philadelphia Story1940George CukorMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer5144
From Here to Eternity1953Fred ZinnemannColumbia Pictures52-
Amadeus1984Miloš FormanThe Saul Zaentz Company53-
All Quiet on the Western Front1930Lewis MilestoneUniversal Pictures54-
The Sound of Music1965Robert WiseArgyle Enterprises, 20th Century-Fox5540
MASH1970Robert AltmanAspen Productions5654
The Third Man1949Carol ReedLondon Film Productions57-
Fantasia1940Walt DisneyWalt Disney Productions58-
Rebel Without a Cause1955Nicholas RayWarner Bros. Pictures59-
Raiders of the Lost Ark1981Steven SpielbergLucasfilm6066
Vertigo1958Alfred HitchcockAlfred J. Hitchcock Productions, Paramount Pictures619
Tootsie1982Sydney PollackMirage Enterprises, Punch Productions, Columbia Pictures, Delphi Productions6269
Stagecoach1939John FordWalter Wanger Productions63-
Close Encounters of the Third Kind1977Steven SpielbergColumbia Pictures, EMI64-
The Silence of the Lambs1991Jonathan DemmeStrong Heart Productions6574
Network1976Sidney LumetMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer, United Artists6664
The Manchurian Candidate1962John FrankenheimerM. C. Productions67-
An American in Paris1951Vincente MinnelliMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer68-
Shane1953George StevensParamount Pictures6945
The French Connection1971William FriedkinD'Antoni Productions7093
Forrest Gump1994Robert ZemeckisThe Tisch Company7176
Ben-Hur1959William WylerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer72100
Wuthering Heights1939William WylerSamuel Goldwyn Productions73-
The Gold Rush1925Charlie ChaplinCharles Chaplin Productions7458
Dances with Wolves1990Kevin CostnerTIG Productions, Majestic Films International75-
City Lights1931Charlie ChaplinCharles Chaplin Productions7611
American Graffiti1973George LucasCoppola Co., Lucasfilm7762
Rocky1976John G. AvildsenChartoff-Winkler Productions7857
The Deer Hunter1978Michael CiminoEMI7953
The Wild Bunch1969Sam PeckinpahPhil Feldman Productions, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts8079
Modern Times1936Charlie ChaplinCharles Chaplin Film Corp.8178
Giant1956George StevensWarner Bros. Pictures82-
Platoon1986Oliver StoneHemdale Film Corporation8386
Fargo1996Joel CoenWorking Title Films84-
Duck Soup1933Leo McCareyParamount Productions8560
Mutiny on the Bounty1935Frank LloydMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer86-
Frankenstein1931James WhaleUniversal Pictures87-
Easy Rider1969Dennis HopperThe Pando Company, Raybert Productions8884
Patton1970Franklin J. Schaffner20th Century-Fox89-
The Jazz Singer1927Alan CroslandWarner Bros. Pictures, The Vitaphone Corp.90-
My Fair Lady1964George CukorWarner Bros. Pictures91-
A Place in the Sun1951George StevensParamount Pictures92-
The Apartment1960Billy WilderThe Mirisch Company9380
Goodfellas1990Martin ScorseseWarner Bros. Pictures, Irwin Winkler Productions9492
Pulp Fiction1994Quentin TarantinoA Band Apart, Jersey Films9594
The Searchers1956John FordC. V. Whitney Pictures9612
Bringing Up Baby1938Howard HawksRKO Radio Pictures9788
Unforgiven1992Clint EastwoodThe Malpaso Company9868
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner1967Stanley KramerColumbia Pictures99-
Yankee Doodle Dandy1942Michael CurtizWarner Bros. Pictures10098
The General1926Buster KeatonBuster Keaton Productions, Joseph M. Schenck Productions-18
Intolerance1916D. W. GriffithReliance-Majestic Studios-49
The Fellowship of the Ring2001Peter JacksonNew Line Cinema, WingNut Films-50
Nashville1975Robert AltmanABC Motion Pictures-59
Sullivan's Travels1941Preston SturgesParamount Pictures-61
Cabaret1972Bob FosseABC Pictures, Allied Artists-63
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?1966Mike NicholsWarner Bros.-67
Saving Private Ryan1998Steven SpielbergAmblin Entertainment, DreamWorks Pictures-71
The Shawshank Redemption1994Frank DarabontCastle Rock Entertainment-72
In the Heat of the Night1967Norman JewisonThe Mirisch Corporation-75
All the President's Men1976Alan J. PakulaWildwood Enterprises-77
Spartacus1960Stanley KubrickBryna Productions-81
Sunrise1927F.W. MurnauFox Film Corporation-82
Titanic1997James CameronLightstorm Entertainment, Paramount Pictures-83
A Night at the Opera1935Sam WoodMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer-85
12 Angry Men1957Sidney LumetOrion-Nova Productions-87
The Sixth Sense1999M. Night ShyamalanHollywood Pictures-89
Swing Time1936George StevensRKO Radio Pictures-90
Sophie's Choice1982Alan J. PakulaITC Entertainment-91
The Last Picture Show1971Peter BogdanovichBBS Productions-95
Do the Right Thing1989Spike Lee40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks-96
Blade Runner1982Ridley ScottThe Ladd Company, Shaw Brothers-97
Toy Story1995John LasseterWalt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios-99

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