As part of a yearly tradition, the members of CHLOTRUDIS SOCIETY FOR INDEPENDENT FILM have created a list of the 55 BEST ANIMATED FILMS OF ALL TIME. Animated films aren’t traditionally independent films. The best known animated films in the U.S. comes from huge studios like Disney and Pixar. And while those studios are certainly represented on this list, there are a wide range of films appearing from all over the world. By creating lists of challenging and well-made films, Chlotrudis hopes to encourage film buffs to educate themselves about the history of film.

Fourteen countries are represented on this list of animated films, with Japan, unsurprisingly, taking the second spot after the US with fifteen films represented. The popularity of anime certainly rivals the interest in animated films generated by Disney and Pixar. France, the United Kingdom, and Austrlia also enjoy multiple entries, at six, five and four respectively.

Japan scores the most films appearing on the list attributed to a single director, namely Hayao Miyazaki, famed animator responsible for Studio Ghibly, and the list’s number one film, SPIRITED AWAY. Miyazaki’s five other entries include MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO at #12, PRINCESS MONONOKE AT #28, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE at #37, KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE at #38, and PONYO at #48. Interestingly enough, it is Miyazaki’s fellow countryman, Satoshi Kon who scored the next highest number of films on the list with four: MILLENNNIUM ACTRESS coming in at #17, followed by TOKYO GODFATHERS, PAPRIKA, and PERFECT BLUE. U.S. and the UK directors follow respecitvely with three films apiece for Brad Bird and Nick Park.

It’s not surprising, given the advances made in the art of animated filmmaking, that most of the films, twenty-nine were released in the year 2000 or later. The oldest film to appear on the list comes from 1937, Disney’s SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS at #24.

To create this list, Nominating Committee members were asked to come up with their individual Top 20 animated films of all time. The definition of an animated film was very broad, including short films and animated pieces made for television. After receiving all of the lists, numerical values were assigned to each of the rankings, and each movie was given a point total. Ties were resolved by consideration of the number of lists a movie appeared on, followed by the highest ranking that movie reached.

We hope you enjoy our list of the 55 Best Animated Films of all time. From classics to the best of international animation, you’ll find something to enjoy on this list.

 

Top 55 Animated Films
01 Spirited Away Hayao Miyazaki 2001
02 Mary & Max Adam Elliot 2009
03 The Nightmare Before Christmas Tim Burton 1993
04 The Triplets of Belleville Sylvain Chomet 2003
05 Up Pete Docter/Bob Peterson 2009
06 Fantasia Multiple 1940
07 Grave of the Fireflies Isao Takahata 1988
08 Wall-E Andrew Stanton 2008
09 The Fantastic Mr. Fox Wes Anderson 2009
10 Persepolis Vincent Paronaud/Marjane Satrapi 2007
11 South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut Trey Parker/Matt Stone 1999
12 My Neighbor Totoro Hayao Miyazaki 1988
13 Beauty and the Beast Gary Trousdale/Kirk Wise 1991
14 The Illusionist Sylvain Chomet 2010
15 The Incredibles Brad Bird 2004
16 Waking Life Richard Linklater 2001
17 Millennium Actress Satoshi Kon 2001
18 Coraline Henry Selick 2009
19 Chicken Run Peter Lord/Nick Park 2000
20 Toy Story 3 Lee Unkrich 2010
21 Sita Sings the Blues Nina Paley 2008
22 $9.99 Tatia Rosenthal 2008
23 Finding Nemo Andrew Stanton/Lee Unkrich 2003
24 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs David Hand 1937
25 The Iron Giant Brad Bird 1999
26 Ratatouille Brad Bird/Jan Pinkava 2007
27 Fantastic Planet René Laloux 1973
28 Princess Mononoke Hayao Miyazaki 1997
29 Tokyo Godfathers Satoshi Kon/Shôgo Furuya 2003
30 Wallace & Gromit in the Case of the Were-Rabbit Steve Box/Nick Park 2005
31 Toy Story John Lasseter 1995
32 Pinocchio Hamilton Luske 1940
33 Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Robert Zemeckis 1988
34 The Lion King Roger Allers/Rob Minkoff 1994
35 Akira Katsuhiro Ohtomo 1988
36 Wallace & Gromit in the Wrong Trousers Nick Park 1993
37 Howl’s Moving Castle Hayao Miyazaki 2004
38 Kiki’s Delivery Service Hayao Miyazaki 1989
39 The Secret of Kells Tomm Moore/Nora Twomey 2009
40 Paprika Satoshi Kon 2006
41 Bambi David Hand 1942
42 Wings of Henneamise Hiroyuki Yamaga 1987
43 Waltz with Bashire Ari Folman 2008
44 Ghost in the Shell Mamoru Oshii 1995
45 Happy Feet George Miller/Warren Coleman/Judy Morris 2006
46 Despicable Me Pierre Coffin/Chris Renaud 2010
47 The Brave Little Toaster Jerry Rees 1987
48 Ponyo Hayao Miyazaki 2008
49 Perfect Blue Satoshi Kon 1997
50 Duck Amuck Chuck Jones 1953
51 Closed Mondays Bob Gardiner/Will Vinton 1974
52 Mulan Tony Bancroft/Barry Cook 1998
53 A Scanner Darkly Richard Linklater 2006
54 The Cat Returns Hiroyuki Morita 2002
55 The Secret of NIMH Don Bluth 1982