American Film Institute honors year's top 10 films

LOS ANGELES - Fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is among the American Film Institute's top 10 movie picks for 2003.

Fantasy vied with reality as the AFI named the year's 10 best films, listing epics like "The Last Samurai" and the final installment of "The Lord of the Rings" alongside slice-of-life movies "American Splendor" and "In America."

The 10 films to win the AFI Awards 2003, listed in alphabetical order, were "American Splendor," "Finding Nemo," "The Human Stain," "In America," "The Last Samurai," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," "Lost in Translation," "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," "Monster" and "Mystic River."


The American Film Institute names the year's 10 top films and television shows without giving rating preferences.


"We don't rank them because what we want to celebrate is the creative collaboration in front and behind the camera that made these stories possible," said Jean Picker Firstenberg, AFI director and chief executive officer.


The winners of the AFI Awards in television were "Alias," "Angels in America," "Arrested Development," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Joan of Arcadia," "Nip/Tuck," "Playmakers," "Soldier's Girl," "24," and "The Wire."


The AFI Awards, which started in 2000, aim at helping to define the contest for the coveted Oscar awards, which will be given out in February.


The AFI said the winners were chosen by its 13-person jury in which scholars, artists, critics and AFI trustees discuss, debate and determine the most outstanding achievements of the year.


"I think what AFI is trying to create is an almanac for the 21st century so we can look back and see what we consider excellence in narrative storytelling in 2003," Firstenberg said.

- REUTERS

* The Return Of The King opens in New Zealand on Dec. 18.

Herald Feature: Lord of the Rings