The Library of Congress announced its annual list of 25 films that were selected for preservation on its National Film Registry, including "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi," "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "WALL-E."
Every year, the library chooses films based on their cultural, historic and artistic significance in history. The selections Tuesday featured titles released from 1902 to 2008, bringing the number of movies in the registry to 825.
“Films help reflect our cultural history and creativity — and show us new ways of looking at ourselves — though movies haven’t always been deemed worthy of preservation,” Carla Hayden, the librarian of Congress, said in a statement. “The National Film Registry will preserve our cinematic heritage, and we are proud to add 25 more films this year.”
“A Nightmare on Elm Street"; the 1997 biographical film "Selena," featuring Jennifer Lopez; and the 1972 film "Sounder," featuring the late Cicely Tyson, were among the 25 films selected for preservation this year. Several documentaries addressing racially motivated violence also made the cut, including "The Murder of Fred Hampton," "Who Killed Vincent Chin?" and "Requiem-29."
In addition to Pixar's "WALL-E," Disney’s 1932 film “Flowers and Trees” was the second animated feature to join the registry this year.
Other memorable titles included "Ringling Brothers Parade Film," "Cooley High," "Richard Pryor: Live in Concert,” "Chicana," “The Long Goodbye,” “The Watermelon Woman,” “Stop Making Sense” and “Strangers on a Train.”
Additional films on the list include: “The Wobblies,” “Pink Flamingos,” “Evergreen,” “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane,” “Hellbound Train,” “The Flying Ace” and “Jubilo.”
Turner Classic Movies will host a television special at 8 p.m. ET Friday featuring a conversation between Hayden and the film historian Jacqueline Stewart about the selected films.
CORRECTION (Dec. 14, 2021, 9 p.m. ET): A photo caption in a previous version of this article misidentified two of the people in the photo. Peter Mayhew is on the left and Anthony Daniels is third from the left, not vice versa.
