Library of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Registry

The Library of Congress has selected 25 films for addition to the National Film Registry in 2025, honoring works deemed culturally, historically or aesthetically significant to the nation's film heritage. The choices, announced this week, range from silent-era productions dating back to 1896 to Wes Anderson's 2014 feature The Grand Budapest Hotel, ensuring the preservation of a century of American cinema.

Established by Congress in 1988, the registry selects 25 films annually that are at least 10 years old, drawing from thousands of public nominations. This year's class received over 7,500 submissions, with the Library of Congress choosing titles based on their enduring value. The additions bring the total number of preserved films to 925, some stored in the library's vast moving image collection and others maintained through partnerships with copyright holders and archives.

The selections highlight a diverse array of filmmaking, with six early silent films representing one of the largest such groups in registry history. These include William Selig's 1896 short The Tramp and the Dog, once thought lost but rediscovered in 2021 at Norway's National Library, which features...