National Film Registry Adds 25 Films for 2010

Established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-446), the National Film Preservation Board is an advisory body for the Librarian of Congress. The Board helps shape national film preservation planning policy, and also recommends films for the National Film Registry, including 25 additional films just named for 2010. Chosen for their cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance, this year's selections cover a wide gamut of genres and time periods. The earliest, Newark Athlete, was produced in 1891 at the Edison Laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey. The entire 2010 list follows:

1990s
Study of a River (1996)
Malcolm X (1992)

1980s
Airplane (1980)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

1970s
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
All the President’s Men (1976)
Grey Gardens (1976)
The Exorcist (1973)
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)

1960s
I Am Joaquin (1969)
Our Lady of the Sphere (1969)
Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967)
The Pink Panther (1964)

1950s
Cry of Jazz (1959)

1940s
Let There Be Light (1946)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)
Tarantella (1940)

1930s
Make Way For Tomorrow (1937)
It’s a Gift (1934)
The Front Page (1931)

1920s
Lonesome (1928)

1910s
The Bargain (1914)
Preservation of the Sign Language (1913)

1900s
A Trip Down Market Street (1906)

1890s
Newark Athlete (1891)

Further information on the Registry as well as the films themselves can be found on the Library of Congress' web site. All 500+ films selected for the Registry since 1989 can also be browsed online.

In January 2011, "These Amazing Shadows," an independently produced documentary by Gravitas DocuFilms, will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. It documents the history and cultural significance of the National Film Registry since its inception. More information can be found at the documentary's website.