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Archive for the National Screening Room Category (11 posts)

Announcing the 2022 National Film Registry

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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. This year’s selections bring the number of films in the registry to 850, and many are among the 1.7 million films in the Library’s collections.

The 2022 National Film Registry showcases a diverse collection of films dating back nearly 124 years with the 1898 film of the “Mardi Gras Carnival” parade in New Orleans. The film was long thought to be lost but recently discovered at the Eye Filmmuseum in the Netherlands. The most recent film now added to the registry is 2011’s “Pariah,” directed by Dee Rees.

Hollywood releases selected this year include Marvel’s “Iron Man,” Disney’s beloved “The Little Mermaid,” John Waters’ “Hairspray,” the unforgettable romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally,” Brian De Palma’s adaptation of “Carrie,” Reginald Hudlin’s “House Party,” and the 1950 film version of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” which made José Ferrer the first Hispanic actor to win an Oscar for Best Actor.

A wide-range of subjects and filmmakers also top the list including “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez,” a seminal work in the Chicano film movement, “Itam Hakim, Hopiit” focused on the history and customs of the Hopi Native American tribes, “Titicut Follies,” Frederick Wiseman’s landmark documentary filmed inside a Massachusetts facility for the criminally insane, “Scorpio Rising,” and “Union Maids” from Julia Reichert. Ms. Reichert, who passed away on December 1st, was informed in November of her film’s inclusion in this year’s Registry.

“Films have become absolutely central to American culture by helping tell our national story for more than 125 years. We are proud to add 25 more films by a group of vibrant and diverse filmmakers to the National Film Registry as we preserve our cinematic heritage,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “We’re grateful to the entire film community for collaborating with the Library of Congress to ensure these films are preserved for the future.

Films Selected for the 2022 National Film Registry, in chronological order:

 Mardi Gras Carnival (1898)
 Cab Calloway Home Movies (1948-1951)
 Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
 Charade (1963)
 Scorpio Rising (1963)
 Behind Every Good Man (1967)
 Titicut Follies (1967)
 Mingus (1968)
 Manzanar (1971)
 Betty Tells Her Story (1972)
 Super Fly (1972)
 Attica (1974)
 Carrie (1976)
 Union Maids (1976)
 Word is Out: Stories of Our Lives (1977)
 Bush Mama (1979)
 The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982)
 Itam Hakim, Hopiit (1984)
 Hairspray (1988)
 The Little Mermaid (1989)
 Tongues Untied (1989)
 When Harry Met Sally (1989)
 House Party (1990)
 Iron Man (2008)
 Pariah (2011)

The Librarian’s selections include recommendations from the National Film Preservation Board and nominations from the public. This year over 6,800 films were suggested for consideration. To nominate for the 2023 Registry visit www.loc.gov/film.

You can read more about the films selected in the official announcement, and the Library of Congress will be sharing visuals and details on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook throughout the day @librarycongress and #natfilmregistry.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will screen films from the 2022 National Film Registry on Tuesday, December 27, starting at 8 p.m.(ET). Dr. Hayden will join TCM host and National Film Preservation Board chair Jacqueline Stewart to discuss the films.

Select titles from 30 years of the National Film Registry are freely available online in the Library of Congress National Screening Room.

“The Court of Human Relations”: A Pioneer of Reality TV

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Though titled “Court of Human Relations,” this obscure, 1959 NBC-TV daytime program was far less “Judge Judy” than a more emotional “Meet the Press.” “Court” had begun on radio, the brainchild of its producer/host A.L. Alexander, and had the lofty goal of bringing the process of mediation to the media while also paying tribute to […]

From Our Collection: Celebrating Mary McLeod Bethune

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Mary McLeod Bethune “Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.” These are the words visitors to the U.S. Capitol will now see at the newly installed statue honoring Mary McLeod Bethune. Today’s unveiling symbolizes Bethune’s life’s work as an American educator, Civil Rights activist and humanitarian, and […]

National Film Registry: Celebrating Liza and “Cabaret”

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So much to celebrate as this sweet little girl turns 76, and the musical film that made her a star celebrates 50 years since its 1972 theatrical debut. Liza Minnelli was born on March 12, 1946 into true Hollywood royalty and all that it encompasses. Her father, the great film director Vincente Minnelli, and her […]

National Film Registry: “All My Babies” (1953)

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  Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) sets a theme for February’s Black History Month, and this year, they’ve chosen the impact and importance of Black Health and Wellness. According to their website, “this theme acknowledges the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in […]

Opening the Treasure Chest: National Silent Movie Day

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Today we celebrate National Silent Movie Day by opening the treasure chest and sharing some of the resources that the Library of Congress offers to research and expand your interest in these classic and iconic motion pictures. The American silent feature film era lasted from 1912 to 1929 with nearly 11,000 feature films produced, but […]

Happy Birthday, Bob Hope!

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This is a guest post by Frances Allshouse and Susie Booth, librarian/catalogers in the Moving Image Section. Wednesday, May 29, 2019, would have been Bob Hope’s 116th birthday and we couldn’t let the day go by without a bit of a celebration.  This year, our gift is the recently-formed Bob Hope moving image processing project. […]

Jazz Appreciation in Moving Images and Recorded Sound

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April is Jazz Appreciation Month! The Smithsonian National Museum of American History began this month-long celebration in 2001 to encourage people to listen to, read about, and play jazz music. Unsurprisingly, jazz is well-represented in the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division at the Library of Congress, from commercial recordings to film and more. […]

Jazz Appreciation in Moving Image and Recorded Sound

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April is Jazz Appreciation Month! The Smithsonian National Museum of American History began this month-long celebration in 2001 to encourage people to listen to, read about, and play jazz music. Unsurprisingly, jazz is well-represented in the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division at the Library of Congress, from commercial recordings to film and more. […]

New Additions to the National Screening Room!

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A few months ago, we launched the National Screening Room—a new digital collection featuring films that showcase the wealth and diversity of the Library’s moving image collections. The films range from early silent shorts from the Library’s Paper Print Collection to newsreels and actualities, from home movies to educational and sponsored films, from television to […]