50 must-see children's films

Some of them were box office smashes. Some are less familiar. But all 50 movies on the list are a must-see for youngsters, according to the British Film Institute.

It has brought out a top 50 to encourage parents and policymakers to take films as seriously as books and art.

More than 70 experts including film producers, teachers, authors and critics were invited to submit their top ten films for children aged up to 14.

Their votes resulted in a final list ranging from Hollywood blockbusters such as ET to an obscure Iranian epic.

The film registering the most votes was a cartoon about the Japanese spirit world. Spirited Away won an Oscar in 2003 for best animated feature but will be unknown to many parents.

The top 50 includes only six British films - Kes, Billy Elliot, Oliver Twist, The Railway Children, Whistle Down the Wind and The Secret Garden.

English-speaking viewers will need subtitles for many of the others. Some, including Billy Elliot and Show Me Love, have 15 certificates but the BFI insisted they could be suitable for younger audiences.

The oldest entry is the 1902 French movie Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon). The top 50 also features the little-known Iranian film Where is the Friend's House?, based on a Persian poem and spoken in Farsi.

The BFI produced the list as part of its Watch This initiative, which is aimed at broadening the range of films children watch. It is also being considered by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, which is looking at an overhaul of English lessons. It is examining whether films should have a greater role in the curriculum.

Cary Bazalgette, head of education at the BFI, said: 'Films are a really important part of our culture. They join us up with other people and parts of the world just as the other arts do.