Early in 1999, the British Film Institute produced a selection booklet and sent copies to 1,000 people embracing all strands of the film, cinema and television industries throughout the UK – producers, directors, writers, actors, technicians, academics, exhibitors, distributors, executives and critics. Participants were asked to consider (and vote for up to 100) ‘culturally British’ feature films, released in cinemas during the 20th century, which they felt had made a strong and lasting impression on the art form and the culture. Altogether, more than 25,700 votes were cast, covering 820 different films.