The American Film Institute in Los Angeles, California conducted their fifth polling, 100 Years...100 Passions, celebrating the centennial of American cinema, and highlighting "the complex, cinematic tales of the heart that have become an abiding part of American film history." See also this site's informative section on the Romantic Films Genre and the Greatest Romances of All Time.

AFI’s 100 Years…100 Passions revealed America’s 100 America’s greatest love stories, as chosen by leaders of the entertainment community, in a three-hour television event, that aired on the CBS Television Network in June 2002. AFI distributed a ballot with 400 nominated films to a jury of 1,800 leaders from the creative community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers) critics and historians.

Judging Criteria For Selection of Nominated Films included:

• Feature Length Fiction Film - The film must be in narrative format, typically over 60 minutes in length.
  
• American Film - The film must be in the English language with significant creative and/or production elements from the United States.
  
• Love Story - Regardless of genre, a romantic bond between two or more characters, whose actions and/or intentions provide the heart of the film’s narrative.
  
• Legacy - Films whose "passions" have enriched America’s film and cultural heritage while continuing to inspire contemporary artists and audiences.