The National Film Registry, part of the National Library of Congress, chose 25 new films to be part of its extensive collection. Among the new feature films are titles such as "The Nightmare Before Christmas," "Home Alone" and "Terminator 2."
The selected films, chosen by popular vote since 1989, are part of a list made by the National Library of Congress and which currently has 875 titles. This registry includes feature films whose cultural, historical or aesthetic importance is considered important to preserve the cinematographic heritage of the United States. In addition, the tapes must be more than 10 years old to be eligible for inclusion in the exclusive catalog.
Titled "A Movie Trip Through Filmland," this 1921 feature film becomes the oldest film to enter the National Film Registry in 2023, being more than 100 years old. On the contrary, the most recent films that are already part of this catalog are "12 Years a Slave" and "20 Feet from Stardom."
Preserving American heritage through film
The 25 films that are already in the catalog join films such as "The Little Mermaid" and "Iron Man," which already achieved a position in the National Film Registry during 2022. All of them are another example, according to the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, in a statement, of the importance of preserving "our history through cinema.":
Films are an integral piece of America’s cultural heritage, reflecting stories of our nation for more than 125 years. We are proud to add 25 diverse films to the National Film Registry as we preserve our history through film. We’re grateful to the film community for collaborating with the Library of Congress in our goal to preserve the heritage of cinema for generations to come.
The 25 films selected in 2023
- "A Movie Trip Through Filmland" (1921)
- "Dinner at Eight" (1933)
- "Bohulano Family Film Collection" (1950s-1970s)
- "Helen Keller: In Her Story" (1954)
- "Lady and the Tramp" (1955)
- "Edge of the City" (1957)
- "We’re Alive" (1974)
- "Cruisin’ J-Town" (1975)
- "¡Alambrista!" (1977)
- "Passing Through" (1977)
- "Fame" (1980)
- "Desperately Seeking Susan" (1985)
- "The Lighted Field" (1987)
- "Matewan" (1987)
- "Home Alone" (1990)
- "Queen of Diamonds" (1991)
- "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991)
- "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993)
- "The Wedding Banquet" (1993)
- "Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision" (1994)
- "Apollo 13" (1995)
- "Bamboozled" (2000)
- "Love & Basketball" (2000)
- "12 Years a Slave" (2013)
- "20 Feet from Stardom" (2013)
