The Library of Congress is back to share one of the most-anticipated lists of the year: its selection of movies that will be placed in the National Film Registry for preservation.
This year’s collection of movies that the United States National Film Preservation Board has deemed as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” span from 1895 to 2010, with the public nominating more than 6,700 titles for consideration. Among the highlights are Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Dirty Dancing (1987), Spy Kids (2001), No Country for Old Men (2007), and the newest film added to the registry, David Fincher’s social media drama The Social Network (2010).
“Films reflect our nation’s history and culture and must be preserved in our national library for generations to come. We’re honored by the responsibility to add 25 diverse new films to the National Film Registry each year as we work to preserve our cultural heritage,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. “This is a collective effort in the film community to preserve our cinematic heritage, and we are grateful to our partners, including the National Film Preservation Board.”
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The selection brings the total number of films in the National Registry to 900. While there are certainly some intriguing newer additions, the National Film Preservation Board is intent on celebrating numerous works from film’s early history this year; this includes the silent short film Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895), the early animated work KoKo’s Earth Control (1928), and the depression-era crime drama Angels with Dirty Faces (1938).
This year sees multiple films helmed by Black directors added to the registry, like Compensation (1999), Ganja and Hess (1973), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Will (1981), and Zora Lathan Student Films (1975-1976). They’ve also added five films that reflect prominent Hispanic artists or themes, including two Edward James Olmos films, Mi Familia (1995) and American Me (1992), plus Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Up in Smoke (1978), and the aforementioned Spy Kids. See the full list below.
Last year saw films including Home Alone, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Terminator 2 added to the registry.
Films Selected for the 2024 National Film Registry:
Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895)
KoKo’s Earth Control (1928)
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
Pride of the Yankees (1942)
Invaders from Mars (1953)
The Miracle Worker (1962)
The Chelsea Girls (1966)
Ganja and Hess (1973)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
Zora Lathan Student Films (1975-76)
Up in Smoke (1978)
Will (1981)
Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982)
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)
Powwow Highway (1989)
My Own Private Idaho (1991)
American Me (1992)
Mi Familia (1995)
Compensation (1999)
Spy Kids (2001)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
The Social Network (2010)
