Librarian of Congress adds 25 films to the National Film Registry

Today, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced the annual selection of 25 films into the Library of Congress National Film Registry.  Films are selected based on their cultural, historic and/or aesthetic importance, and must be at least 10 years old.

The 2021 National Film Registry represents one of the most diverse collections of films in the history of the Registry with movies dating back nearly 120 years and representing the work of Hollywood studios, independent filmmakers, documentarians, women directors, filmmakers of color, students and the silent era of film. Today’s additions bring the number of films in the registry to 825, representing a portion of the 1.7 million films in the Library’s collections.

“Return of the Jedi,”  “Selena,” “Sounder,” “Lord of the Rings,”  “Cooley High'” “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane,” “The Wobblies,” and “WALL-E” are among the titles selected for preservation.

Others include Talking Head’s “Stop Making Sense,” the documentaries “Who Killed Vincent Chin,” and “The Murder of Fred Hampton,” the Hitchcock classic “Strangers on a Train,” John Waters’ “Pink Flamingos,” silent-era films “Jubilo” and “The Flying Ace,” and the 1965 student film “Evergreen” by Ray Manzarek.

For the complete list and film descriptions click HERE

To watch a special video announcement click HERE

The Librarian’s selections include recommendations from the National Film Preservation Board and nominations from the public. To nominate for next year’s Registry visit www.loc.gov/film.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will host a television special Friday, Dec. 17, starting at 8 p.m. ET to screen a selection of motion pictures named to the registry this year. Dr. Hayden will join TCM host and film historian Jacqueline Stewart, who is chair of the National Film Preservation Board, to discuss the films. Also, select titles from 30 years of the National Film Registry are freely available online in the National Screening Room. Follow the conversation about the 2021 National Film Registry on Twitter and Instagram at @librarycongress and #NatFilmRegistry.