National Film Registry

Selection of films for preservation in the US Library of Congress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each for its cultural, historical and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB's inception in 1988.[1][2]

Founded
TypeFilm preservation
Quick facts Founded, Type ...
National Film Registry
Founded
TypeFilm preservation
Websiteloc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry
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History

Throughout the 1980s, several prominent filmmakers and industry personalities in the United States, such as Frank Capra and Martin Scorsese, advocated for Congress to enact a film preservation bill in order to avoid commercial modifications (such as pan and scan and editing for television) of classic films, which they saw as negative. In response to the controversy over the colorization of originally black and white films in the decade specifically, Representatives Robert J. Mrazek and Sidney R. Yates introduced the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, which established the National Film Registry, its purpose, and the criteria for selecting films for preservation.[3] The Act was passed and the NFR's mission was subsequently reauthorized by further acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, 2008 and 2016.[4][5][6][7] The National Film Preservation Board's mission, to which the NFR contributes, is to ensure the survival, conservation, and increased public availability of America's film heritage.[8] The 1996 law also created the non-profit National Film Preservation Foundation which, although affiliated with the NFPB, raises money from the private sector.[9] Inductees are announced in the final quarter of the year, usually in mid-to-late December. The only year where this deadline was missed was 2025, due to the 2025 US federal government shutdown, with that year's selections being officially announced on January 29, 2026.[10]

Selection criteria

Taken together, the ... films in the National Film Registry represent a stunning range of American filmmaking—including Hollywood features, documentaries, avant-garde and amateur productions, films of regional interest, ethnic, animated, and short film subjects—all deserving recognition, preservation and access by future generations. As we begin this new millennium, the registry stands among the finest summations of American cinema's wondrous first century.

The NFPB adds to the NFR up to 25 "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films" each year in December, showcasing the range and diversity of American film heritage to increase awareness for its preservation.[11] A film becomes eligible for inclusion ten years after its original release.[12] For the first selection in 1989, the public nominated almost 1,000 films for consideration. Members of the NFPB then developed individual ballots of possible films for inclusion. The ballots were tabulated into a list of 25 films that was then modified by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and his staff at the Library for the final selection.[11] Since 1997, members of the public have been able to nominate up to 50 films a year for the NFPB and Librarian to consider,[13] with an August submission deadline.

The NFR, collaborating with other archives, studios, copyright holders and individuals,[14] includes films ranging from Hollywood classics to orphan films.[15] A film is not required to be feature-length, nor is it required to have been theatrically released in the traditional sense. The Registry contains newsreels, silent films, student films, experimental films, short films, music videos, films out of copyright protection or in the public domain, film serials, home movies, documentaries, animation and independent films. As of the 2025 listing, there are 925 films in the Registry.

Films

More information Film title, Film type ...
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Notes

  1. Numbers 1–5, 7, and 10
  2. A serial of fourteen short films
  3. A serial of thirteen short films
  4. Remade at least 25 times; the NFR entry encompasses all versions
  5. Heretic, Frontier, Lamentation, and Appalachian Spring
  6. A series of seven short films
  7. A serial of twenty short films
  8. A series of eight short films
  9. Not released until 1952
  10. A collection of twenty-one short films
  11. A series of seven feature films

Number of films

As of the 2025 induction there are 925 total films. For purposes of this list, multi-year serials are counted only once (as they are in the Registry) by year of completion.

By release year

More information Year of release, Number of films ...
Year of releaseNumber of films
18911
18931
18941
18951
18962
18971
18982
19012
19021
19034
19041
19051
19063
19081
19093
19102
19111
19125
19136
191411
19156
19167
19175
19183
19194
19208
19216
19225
19232
19248
192512
192611
19278
192819
19298
19308
19318
193210
193317
19349
19357
193611
193711
193810
193919
194019
194110
194213
19437
194411
194511
194610
19477
19488
19497
195012
195110
19526
195317
195412
195513
19569
195717
19585
195913
19607
19619
196211
196311
196412
19653
19668
196716
196815
196912
197012
197116
197212
197313
197413
197512
197612
197710
197810
197914
198012
19815
198214
19836
198415
19854
19869
19877
19888
198912
19909
19918
19925
19937
19949
19957
19962
19976
19985
19994
20004
20013
20024
20031
20042
20051
20061
20071
20085
20103
20112
20132
20141
Unknown24
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By release decade

More information Decade of release, Number of films ...
Decade of releaseNumber of films
1890s9
1900s16
1910s50
1920s87
1930s110
1940s103
1950s114
1960s104
1970s124
1980s92
1990s62
2000s22
2010s8
Unknown24
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Age of Registry selections

The oldest film in the registry, Newark Athlete, was released in 1891, while the most recent, The Grand Budapest Hotel, was released in 2014.

Time span from release to selection

Released in 1895 and 1896, and selected in December 2024 and January 2026, Annabelle Serpentine Dance and The Tramp and the Dog jointly experienced the longest wait, at 129 years each, while Raging Bull, released theatrically in New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto on November 14, 1980, and inducted in October 1990, holds the record for the shortest delay, having been inducted slightly shy of the 10-year minimum.[31] Only eight other films have been inducted at the 10-year mark: Do the Right Thing,[56] Goodfellas,[57] Toy Story,[58][59] Fargo,[60] 13 Lakes,[61] Freedom Riders,[62] 12 Years a Slave and 20 Feet from Stardom.[63]

Franchises with multiple entries

Directors with multiple entries (two or more)

Academy Award–winning director John Ford has the most entries with 11 films.
Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock, responsible for inductees ranging from the 1940 Academy Award for Best Picture winner Rebecca to 1963's The Birds
Orson Welles, acclaimed filmmaker behind inductees Citizen Kane (1941), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Lady from Shanghai (1948) and Touch of Evil (1958)
Stanley Kubrick, master auteur responsible for inductees ranging from 1957's Paths of Glory to his 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining
Aside from animated shorts/features by producer Walt Disney alongside multiple directors, animator Dave Fleischer has the most animated titles on the Registry with four (some featuring timeless characters Koko the Clown, Betty Boop and Popeye).

Reference:[64]

Notes

  1. The Thing from Another World has been disputed as having been directed by Hawks, which would put his total at 11.

See also

References

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