NAACP and Blockbuster Compiling Top 100 Films on the Black Experience

The NAACP and Blockbuster are working together to rank the top 100 films for, by and about people of color in honor of the NAACP’s 100th anniversary. “NAACP Top 100 Films of the Century: 100 Years, 100 Films,” aims to capture the most influential films depicting the minority experience, particularly that of African-Americans, created during the 100 years since the NAACP was founded in 1909.

At naacptop100.com from now through April 27, voters can choose their favorites among titles ranging from the 2008 Biggie Smalls biopic “Notorious” to 1967’s “In the Heat of the Night,” starring Sidney Poitier. The nearly 1,000 titles were compiled by a panel of leading film experts, and include feature films, documentaries, and made-for-TV movies and miniseries created between Feb. 12, 1909 and Feb. 12, 2009.

If voters need a reminder of what movies are about, the site has video with trailers, photos, and summaries for each. But getting to the movies themselves to vote is convoluted—you can search by title, actors or director, or broader categories of genre or theme. And voting requires creating an account, but what’s not clear is who is responsible for the information collected—NAACP or Blockbuster?

While voters are welcome to pick their favorite films, the NAACP does have some guidelines it wants considered: connection to the organization’s mission, social relevance, and accurate character portrayals, along with originality, creative significance, critical acknowledgement and popularity. The list of the top 100 films will be released in June.