American Film Institute Brings the Best of Hollywood Together to Celebrate AFI's 10 TOP 10 on the CBS Television Network, June 17, 2008

American Film Institute Brings the Best of Hollywood Together to Celebrate AFI's 10 TOP 10 on the CBS Television Network, June 17, 2008

11th Annual Countdown to Unveil Top 10 Films in 10 Genres

Revealed by Jessica Alba, Kirk Douglas, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Harrison Ford, Jane Fonda, Michael J. Fox, Gene Hackman, Jennifer Love Hewitt, George Lucas, Isabella Rossellini, Susan Sarandon, Steven Spielberg, Sigourney Weaver, Vanessa Williams and More

Institute to Crown No. 1 Animated, Fantasy, Gangster, Sci-Fi, Western, Sports, Mystery, Romantic Comedy, Courtroom Drama and Epic Films

LOS ANGELES, May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- American Film Institute (AFI) today announced the notable film artists that have been confirmed to appear in AFI's 10 TOP 10, a three-hour landmark television event airing on the CBS Television Network Tuesday, June 17, 2008 (8:00 - 11:00 p.m., ET/PT). During the broadcast, some of Hollywood's biggest stars will help reveal the confidential list of America's 10 greatest films in 10 classic film genres.

To pay homage to the 10 revered genres, 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. Additionally, the hosts for Gangster and Western film categories will be announced by AFI in the coming weeks.

The special will also feature exclusive interviews with Tim Allen, Ed Burns, Harrison Ford, Jane Fonda, Michael J. Fox, Brad Garrett, Ben Gazzara, Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper, Norman Jewison, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Ray Liotta, Robert Loggia, George Lucas, Sidney Lumet, Amy Madigan, Leonard Maltin, Dominic Monaghan, Elizabeth Perkins, Roman Polanski, Harold Ramis, John Ratzenberger, Rob Reiner, Isabella Rossellini, Susan Sarandon, Talia Shire, Steven Spielberg, Daniel Stern, Ridley Scott, Lesley Ann Warren, Vanessa Williams and Rita Wilson.

"AFI's 10 TOP 10 will serve as the ultimate guide to the very best in 10 of America's most beloved film genres," said AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale. "Over the past decade, this series has sparked a national debate each year about what makes a great American movie, and why-ultimately driving audiences to discover and rediscover the classics of American film."

Past network specials have included AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies (1998), 100 Stars (1999), 100 Laughs (2000), 100 Thrills (2001), 100 Passions (2002), 100 Heroes & Villains (2003), 100 Songs (2004), 100 Movie Quotes (2005) and 100 Cheers (2006) and AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies-10th Anniversary Edition (2007).

The primetime special will be executive produced and directed by Gary Smith; executive produced for AFI by former AFI Board Chair Emeritus Frederick S. Pierce; and produced by Dann Netter. SFM Entertainment LLC is the distributor of the program. Sponsors of the series have included General Motors, Pepsi, Best Buy, Breyers, ConAgra, Procter & Gamble, Anheuser-Busch, Colgate-Palmolive, Sony and all major motion picture companies.

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
January 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.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: American Film Institute

CONTACT: Alison Deknatel of American Film Institute, +1-323-856-7896,
adeknatel@AFI.com; or Matt Lifson, +1-323-202-1047,
matthew.lifson@edelman.com, or Grace Chang, +1-323-202-1422,
grace.chang@edelman.com, both of Edelman, for American Film Institute; or
Diane Ekeblad, +1-323-575-2029, diane.ekeblad@tvc.cbs.com, or Kelli Raftery,
+1-212-975-3163, kraftery@cbs.com, both of CBS

Web site:

http://www.afi.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: A copy of the ballot is available to the media at: http://www.AFI.com/drop/ballot.pdf, Password: AFIpress

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