Twenty-five influential films have been selected for the 2023 Library of Congress National Film Registry, the Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today. The films are selected each year for their cultural, historic, or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage. The newest selections include a diverse group of films, filmmakers and Hollywood landmarks exploring the drama of history, social justice and reform, the experiences of immigrants and more. This year’s selections date back more than 100 years to a 1921 Kodak educational film titled A Movie Trip Through Filmland about how film stock is produced and the impact of movies globally. The most recent films added to the registry are 2013’s Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave and the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom.
Some Hollywood releases selected this year include the space drama Apollo 13, the holiday classic Home Alone, Disney’s 1955 beloved animation Lady and the Tramp, the sci-fi sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and the Halloween and holiday favorite The Nightmare Before Christmas. Plus, there’s the selection of Love & Basketball, which has grown new audiences over the years as an inspiring classic love story.
The selections bring the number of films in the registry to 875. Some of these films are among the two million moving image collection items held in the Library. Others are preserved by the copyright holders or other film archives.
“Films are an integral piece of America’s cultural heritage, reflecting stories of our nation for more than 125 years. We are proud to add 25 diverse films to the National Film Registry as we preserve our history through film,” said Hayden. “We’re grateful to the film community for collaborating with the Library of Congress in our goal to preserve the heritage of cinema for generations to come.”
Turner Classic Movies will host a television special Thursday, December 14, starting at 8 p.m. ET to screen a selection of films named to the registry this year. Hayden will join TCM host, film historian and Academy Museum of Motion Pictures director and president Jacqueline Stewart, who is chair of the National Film Preservation Board, to discuss the films.
Stewart said this year’s selections highlight the “breadth of experiences in American culture, in American history.”
“I'm delighted to see several films this year that recognize a diversity of Asian American experiences,” she said. “There’s Cruisin’ J-Town, a film about jazz musicians in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo community, specifically the band Hiroshima. There's also the Bohulano Family Film collection, home movies from the 1950s-1970s shot by a family in Stockton, California's Filipino community. Also added is the documentary, Maya Lin: A Strong, Clear Vision, about one of our most important contemporary artists who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.”
Films Selected for the 2023 National Film Registry
(chronological order)
A Movie Trip Through Filmland (1921)
Dinner at Eight (1933)
Bohulano Family Film Collection (1950s-1970s)
Helen Keller: In Her Story (1954)
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Edge of the City (1957)
We’re Alive (1974)
Cruisin' J-Town (1975)
¡Alambrista! (1977)
Passing Through (1977)
Fame (1980)
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
The Lighted Field (1987)
Matewan (1987)
Home Alone (1990)
Queen of Diamonds (1991)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Wedding Banquet (1993)
Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (1994)
Apollo 13 (1995)
Bamboozled (2000)
Love & Basketball (2000)
12 Years a Slave (2013)
20 Feet from Stardom (2013)
The public submitted 6,875 titles for consideration this year. Several titles selected this year drew significant support, including Home Alone and Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
The public can submit nominations throughout the year on the Library’s web site Nominations for next year will be accepted until Aug. 15, 2024. Cast your vote at loc.gov/film.