In 2005 the British Institute published a list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14 to inspire parents and educators to take movies as seriously as books and other forms of art. It was created by more than 70 experts including film producers, teachers, authors and critics who all made their own top ten. The film registering the most votes was Spirited Away, which won the 75th Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and the Golden Bear at the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival. The British Film Institute published the top 10 and then the other 40 films in alphabetical order.
Top 10
| Film | Director | Year | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bicycle Thieves | Vittorio De Sica | 1948 | Italy | |
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial |
Steven Spielberg | 1982 | USA | |
Kes |
Ken Loach | 1969 | UK | |
| The 400 Blows | Francois Truffaut | 1959 | France | |
The Night of the Hunter |
Charles Laughton | 1955 | USA | |
Show Me Love |
Lukas Moodysson | 1998 | Sweden/Denmark | |
Spirited Away |
Hayao Miyazaki | 2001 | Japan | |
Toy Story |
John Lasseter | 1995 | USA | |
Where is the friend’s Home? |
Abbas Kiarostami | 1987 | Iran | |
The Wizard of Oz |
Victor Fleming | 1939 | USA |
Rest of Top 50
| The Adventures of Robin Hood | Michael Curtiz/William Keighley | 1938 | USA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Au revoir les enfants | Louis Malle | 1987 | France/West Germany | |
| Back to the Future | Robert Zemeckis | 1985 | USA | |
| Beauty and the Beast | Gary Trousdale/Kirk Wise | 1991 | USA | |
| Billy Elliot | Stephen Daldry | 2000 | UK/France | |
| A Day at the Races | Sam Wood | 1937 | USA | |
| Edward Scissorhands | Tim Burton | 1990 | USA | |
| Etre et Avoir | Nicolas Philibert | 2002 | France | |
| Finding Nemo | Andrew Stanton/Lee Unkrich | 2003 | USA | |
| It’s a Wonderful Life | Frank Capra | 1946 | USA | |
| Jason and the Argonauts | Don Chaffey | 1963 | UK/USA | |
| The Kid | Charles Chaplin | 1921 | USA | |
| King Kong | Merian C. Cooper/Ernest B. Schoedsack | 1933 | USA | |
| Kirikou et la sorcière | Michel Ocelot | 1998 | France/Belgium/Luxembourg | |
| La Belle et la Bête | Jean Cocteau | 1946 | France/Luxembourg | |
| Le Voyage dans la Lune | Georges Melies | 1902 | France | |
| Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday | Jacques Tati | 1953 | France | |
| My Life as a Dog | Lasse Halström | 1985 | Sweden | |
| My Neighbour Totoro | Hayao Miyazaki | 1988 | Japan | |
| Oliver Twist | David Lean | 1948 | UK | |
| The Outsiders | Francis Ford Coppola | 1983 | USA | |
| Pather Panchali | Satyajit Ray | 1955 | India | |
| Playtime | Jacques Tati | 1967 | France/Italy | |
| The Princess Bride | Rob Reiner | 1987 | USA | |
| Rabbit-Proof Fence | Phillip Noyce | 2002 | Australia | |
| Raiders of the Lost Ark | Steven Spielberg | 1981 | USA | |
| The Railway Children | Lionel Jeffries | 1970 | UK | |
| The Red Balloon | Albert Lamorisse | 1956 | France | |
| Romeo + Juliet | Baz Luhrmann | 1996 | USA | |
| The Secret Garden | Agnieszka Holland | 1993 | UK/USA | |
| Singin’ in the Rain | Stanley Donen/Gene Kelly | 1952 | USA | |
| Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | David Hand | 1937 | USA | |
| Some Like It Hot | Billy Wilder | 1959 | USA | |
| The Spirit of the Beehive | Victor Erice | 1973 | Spain | |
| Star Wars | George Lucas | 1977 | USA | |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | Robert Mulligan | 1962 | USA | |
| Walkabout | Nicolas Roeg | 1971 | UK | |
| Whale Rider | Niki Caro | 2002 | New Zealand | |
| Whistle Down the Wind | Bryan Forbes | 1961 | UK | |
| The White Balloon | Jafar Panahi | 1995 | Iran |
Sight & Sound (Kindle Tablet Edition)
Back to the Future (BFI Film Classics) Paperback
Bicycle Thieves (BFI Film Classics) Paperback
