Library Of Congress Selects Films For Preservation
National Film Registry To Include “Bambi,” “Silence Of The Lambs,” “Forrest Gump”
In 1988, the National Film Preservation Act established a group called the United States National Film Preservation Board. Each December, the Board helps the Librarian of Congress choose 25 films to be included in the National Film Registry, a film digitization and preservation project conducted by the Library of Congress. So far, the National Film Registry contains 575 films that have been deemed significant “culturally, historically, or aesthetically.”
“These films are selected because of their enduring significance to American culture,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “Our film heritage must be protected because these cinematic treasures document our history and culture and reflect our hopes and dreams.” Billington finalized this year’s selections to the registry after meeting with library film curators and members of the National Film Preservation Board to discuss the top contenders. Nominations come from the public, and this year saw 2,228 films nominated. Of these, Billington himself reviewed several hundred.
The chosen few will receive top preservation efforts from the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation, which works to safeguard our film heritage. Film digitization is an important part of preservation, both because it protects the films against damage to physical media, and because it allows for practically infinite distribution of the films. Billington said that one of long-term goals of the project is to make all films in the registry available online. “Maximizing public access is one of the core concerns of the Library of Congress, because it’s the closest thing we have to a national patrimony of the creative arts,” he said.
This year’s selections included some relatively recent films such as Academy Award winners “Forrest Gump” (1994) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991). The oldest film to be included in this year’s batch was Charlie Chaplin’s first full-length feature, “The Kid” (1921). Also selected were “Norma Rae” (1979, starring Sally Field), George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” (1959), and the Disney classic “Bambi” (1942).
For more information, and to see a complete list of this year’s selected films, go to 2011 National Film Registry More Than a Box of Chocolates.
Tags: film digitization