Regardless of who compiles the list, any compilation of the most universally sound, creatively inspiring, and ethically robust animated feature films should require as comprehensive a list of qualifications as it does acknowledge the influence of the animated form. For KIDS FIRST!, a non-profit media observance group that provides news and information on children's entertainment, that list of qualifications is rooted in the culture that contributing parents hope to teach their children as they continue to grow and learn. The KIDS FIRST! Top 100 Kid Films includes more than 45 animated feature films; many classics, some more contemporary.
With the publicly stated goals of teaching children to become better critics of the media they consume, helping fellow adults "recognize the importance of teaching critical viewing skills to children," and of developing key initiatives for kids with special needs, KIDS FIRST! has successfully evaluated children's entertainment for the better part of two decades.
Regarding the Top 100 Kid Films list, Coalition president Ranny Levy previously stated that the group created the list as a result of ongoing requests from media, parents and others. "We created the list to provide parents and caregivers with a reliable guide to evergreen films that are as good today as the day they were released," Levy commented. "The films on this list portray the values and ethics that we, as a culture, wish to instill in our children." Jury selection, film selection and voting took place over the past few months.
More than half of the animated films chosen through the open-vote ballot method were produced or distributed by Walt Disney Studios; classics such as 101 Dalmatians (1961), the fantastical James and the Giant Peach (1996), girl power period piece Mulan (1998), and Pixar Animation Studios' The Incredibles (2004).
Aardman Animations guided titles Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) and Chicken Run (2000) made the list. Memorable animation such as The Aristocats (1970) and An American Tail (1986) found their way to the Top 100 list as well, alongside Blue Sky Studios productions Robots (2005) and Ice Age (2002). A view of the animated films within the Top 100 Kid Films list is available on the following page of this Animation Insider news article. A complete list of the Top 100 Kid Films from KIDS FIRST! is available at the organization website.
The organization is planning to continue this trend annually, updating Top Lists for the insights and observations of children's media for not only feature films, but for home video releases and television programming as well.
on The KIDS FIRST! Top 100 Films List: Through an open-vote balloting method, the Top 100 Kid Films list allowed web browsers to give their preference of any top five of the nearly two hundred titles available for choice. The films themselves were first evaluated and reviewed by jurors (child care providers, educators, parents, librarians) as per the needs of children aged 2 through 18; while secondly listed for open-vote for a thirty-day period. According to the KIDS FIRST! Group, any film that KIDS FIRST! endorses must meet or exceed the baseline criteria of: no gratuitous violence or abuse; no inappropriate sexual behavior; no bias in terms of race, gender, culture or religion; no condescension toward children; no replicable unsafe behavior.