Stalker is Cate's movie choice while life's a Cabaret for Dyke

Cate Blanchett favours a little-known Seventies thriller, while Little Britain star Matt Lucas prefers Billy Elliot.

A poll of film stars, directors and musicians reveals the films they would most like saved for posterity.

Actors including Sir Ben Kingsley and Sir Roger Moore, as well as figures from television and current affairs, took part in the survey to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the British Film Institute this month. They were asked which movies they would like future generations to watch. The poll aims to highlight the BFI's work to establish a national repository of films of "permanent value".

Blanchett's choice was Stalker, Andrei Tarkovsky's 1979 fantasy thriller. Bill Nighy selected 1988's Mississippi Burning, while BFI chairman Greg Dyke chose Cabaret.

The project is called Visions For The Future. The BFI hopes the public will also nominate films. Voting is open until the end of the month and the top five will be screened at the BFI on the South Bank from January.

A BFI spokesman said: "It is a search to find the films to share with future generations."