The American Film Institute (AFI) announced its top ten films of the year at the weekend, ahead of the awards ceremony in Los Angeles on January 9.

The AFI movie of the year in alphabetical order are: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, Frost/Nixon, Frozen River, Gran Torino, Iron Man, Milk, Wall-E, Wendy And Lucy and The Wrestler.

The AFI awards 2008 selections are made through a 13-person jury process in which scholars, film artists, critics and AFI trustees debate the outstanding achievements of the year.

Two AFI juries - one for motion pictures and one for television - convened in Los Angeles for two days of deliberations and announced their results on Sunday [December 14].

The top ten TV shows are: Breaking Bad, In Treatment, John Adams, Life, Lost, Mad Men, The Office, Recount, The Shield and The Wire.

‘AFI awards honours the community of artists who come together each year to create films and television programs of excellence,’ AFI’s president and CEO Bob Gazzale said. ‘They are not competitors at an event, but colleagues, in a world that needs art and entertainment more than ever.’