National Film Registry

The National Film Registry is a list of films selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation because of their cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.

National Film Preservation Board: A federal advisory board that recommends films for inclusion in the National Film Registry. It reviews nominations and advises the Librarian of Congress on selections.
Film: A sequence of images recorded or created to produce the impression of moving pictures. The Registry selects works made in the medium of film.
The Birth of a Nation: A 1915 silent film directed by D. W. Griffith, noted for its technical influence and racist depiction of Black people. Its selection highlights the tension between historical influence and racist content.
National Film Preservation Foundation: A nonprofit organization that supports film preservation projects across the United States. Unlike the Registry, it funds and facilitates preservation work directly.
Librarian of Congress: The head of the Library of Congress, appointed by the president with Senate confirmation. The Librarian of Congress makes the final Registry selections.
Cultural heritage: Practices, objects, and expressions inherited from past generations and valued by a community. Cultural significance is one basis for a film’s selection.
The Wizard of Oz: A 1939 musical fantasy film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Judy Garland. Its enduring cultural influence makes it a prominent Registry example.
American Film Institute Catalog: A reference database documenting American feature films released between 1893 and 1993. The catalog documents films broadly; the Registry selects films for preservation recognition.
National Film Preservation Act of 1988: A United States law that established the National Film Preservation Board and the National Film Registry. This law created the Registry’s institutional framework.
Aesthetic value: The artistic qualities through which a work is judged as beautiful, expressive, or formally significant. Aesthetic significance is an explicit selection criterion.

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