High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The first of the AFI 100 Years… series of cinematic milestones, AFI`s 100 Years…100 Movies is a list of the 100 best American movies, as determined by the American Film Institute from a poll of more than 1,500 artists and leaders in the film industry who chose from a list of 400 nominated movies. The 100-best list was unveiled in 1998.