National Film Registry
Preserving America's culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant films.
The National Film Registry (NFR) is the collection of films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) for preservation, based on each film's cultural, historical, and aesthetic contributions. Established in 1988, the NFR serves as a record of America's film heritage and aims to ensure the survival and public availability of these works.
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 1988, United States
Facts from the source article.
History
During the 1980s, filmmakers including Frank Capra and Martin Scorsese urged the U.S. Congress to pass a film preservation bill, motivated by concerns over commercial alterations like pan and scan and television edits. The colorization of black-and-white films sparked particular controversy. In response, Representatives Robert J. Mrazek and Sidney R. Yates introduced the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, which created the National Film Registry and defined its selection criteria. The Act passed, and its mission was renewed by Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, 2008, and 2016. The 1996 law also established the nonprofit National Film Preservation Foundation, which raises private funds. Inductees are typically announced in mid-to-late December; the only exception was 2025, when a federal government shutdown delayed the announcement to January 29, 2026.
Selection criteria
Each year in December, the NFPB adds up to 25 films deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, showcasing the breadth of American film heritage. Films become eligible ten years after their original release. For the first selection in 1989, nearly 1,000 public nominations were submitted. NFPB members created individual ballots, which were tallied into a list of 25 films; Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and his staff then made the final selection. Since 1997, the public may nominate up to 50 films annually, with an August deadline. The Registry includes Hollywood classics, orphan films, newsreels, silent films, student films, experimental works, short films, music videos, home movies, documentaries, animation, and independent films, regardless of length or theatrical release. As of the 2025 listing, 925 films are in the Registry.
Number of films
As of the 2025 induction, the Registry holds 925 films. Multi-year serials are counted once, by year of completion. The oldest film, Newark Athlete, dates from 1891; the most recent, The Grand Budapest Hotel, from 2014. Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895) and The Tramp and the Dog (1896), both selected in December 2024 and January 2026 respectively, share the longest wait at 129 years. Raging Bull, released in November 1980 and inducted in October 1990, holds the shortest delay, just shy of the ten-year minimum. Eight other films have been inducted at exactly the ten-year mark: Do the Right Thing, Goodfellas, Toy Story, Fargo, 13 Lakes, Freedom Riders, 12 Years a Slave, and 20 Feet from Stardom.
Franchises with multiple entries
Several film franchises have more than one entry in the Registry, including sequels, remakes, or adaptations of the same source material. Examples include Ben-Hur (Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ and Ben-Hur); Betty Boop (Koko's Earth Control, Snow-White, Who Framed Roger Rabbit); Cinderella (Ella Cinders, Cinderella); The Crowd and its sequel Our Daily Bread; Dracula (English and Spanish versions, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein); The Fall of the House of Usher (The Fall of the House of Usher, House of Usher); Frankenstein (Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein); The Front Page (The Front Page, His Girl Friday); The Godfather (The Godfather, The Godfather Part II); Imitation of Life (1934 and 1959 versions); Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies (Porky in Wackyland, Duck Amuck, One Froggy Evening, What's Opera, Doc?, Who Framed Roger Rabbit); Mickey Mouse (Steamboat Willie, Fantasia, Who Framed Roger Rabbit); The Philadelphia Story (The Philadelphia Story, High Society); Philip Marlowe (The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye); Silly Symphonies (Flowers and Trees, Three Little Pigs, The Old Mill, Who Framed Roger Rabbit); Snow White (Snow-White, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Who Framed Roger Rabbit); Star Wars (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi); Terminator (The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day); The Thing (The Thing from Another World, The Thing); and Zorro (The Mark of Zorro from 1920 and 1940).
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