The Library of Congress Announces Their Annual Selection of 25 Ecclectic Films

The Library of Congress has selected 25 films inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Here’s the list:

1. 1. Ringling Brothers Parade Film (1902)
   2. Jubilo (1919)
   3. The Flying Ace (1926)
   4. Hellbound Train (1930)
   5. Flowers and Trees (1932)
   6. Strangers on a Train (1951)
   7. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
   8. Evergreen (1965)
   9. Requiem-29 (1970)
   10. The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971)
   11. Pink Flamingos (1972)
   12.  Sounder (1972)
   13. The Long Goodbye (1973)
   14. Cooley High (1975)
   15. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)
   16. Chicana (1979)
   17. The Wobblies (1979)
   18. Star Wars Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983)
   19. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
   20. Stop Making Sense (1984)
   21. Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987)
   22. The Watermelon Woman (1996)
   23. Selena (1997)
   24. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
   25. WALL•E (2008)

Here’s the Library of Congress 2021 National Film Registry Announcement YouTube video:

All these titles were selected for preservation. Selected for their cultural, historic, or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage, the newest selections include epic trilogies, major roles for Jennifer Lopez and Cicely Tyson, extraordinary animated features, comedy and music, and films that took on racially-motivated violence against people of color decades ago.

According to a press release issued by The Library of Congress; The 2021 selections represent one of the most diverse classes of films to enter 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. The selections bring the number of films in the registry to 825, representing a portion of the 1.7 million films in the Library’s collections.

“Films help reflect our cultural history and creativity — and show us new ways of looking at ourselves — through movies haven’t always been deemed worthy of preservation. The National Film Registry will preserve our cinematic heritage, and we are proud to add 25 more films this year,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “The Library of Congress will work with our partners in the film community to ensure these films are preserved for generations to come.”

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“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” is among the 25 movies selected for preservation on the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.

“Return of the Jedi,” “Selena,” “Wall-E” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street” also made this year’s list.https://t.co/xxVziet32y

— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 14, 2021

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will host a television special on Friday, December 17. starting at 8 p.m. ET to screen a selection of motion pictures named to the registry this year. 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.

Two films selected for the registry drew significant public support this year through online nominations. The original “Star Wars” trilogy’s third release from “a galaxy far, far away” in 1983 drew the most public votes for “Star Wars Episode VI — Return of the Jedi,” while the kickoff to another epic trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” from 2001, based on the beloved stories of J.R.R. Tolkien, also earned strong public support.