Library of Congress Adds 25 Films to the National Film Registry for 2025

The Library of Congress announced Wednesday that 25 new titles are being inducted into the National Film Registry, a collection recognizing films deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant to the nation’s cinematic legacy.

“When we preserve films, we preserve American culture for generations to come. These selections for the National Film Registry show us that films are instrumental in capturing important parts of our nation’s story,” said Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen. “We are proud to continue this important work, adding a broad range of 25 films to the National Film Registry as a collective effort in the film community to protect our cinematic heritage.”

This year’s selections span more than a century of filmmaking, ranging from early silent-era works dating back to 1896 to Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, the 2014 Oscar favorite that earned nine Academy Award nominations. The list includes an expansive mix of genres and eras, featuring Christopher Nolan’s Inception, the Civil War epic Glory, the original The Karate Kid, Pixar’s animated classic The Incredibles, and Amy Heckerling’s genre-defining teen comedy Clueless. Iconic mid-century musicals White Christmas (1954) and High Society (1956) also earned places on this year’s registry.

The newly added titles reflect a broad mix of voices and filmmaking approaches. Among them are the groundbreaking AIDS drama Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks; Peter Weir’s satirical sci-fi hit The Truman Show; Richard Linklater’s intimate romance Before Sunrise, which launched his acclaimed trilogy; the Frida Kahlo biopic Frida, led by Salma Hayek; and John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi horror classic The Thing, which the Library of Congress noted received the highest number of public nomination votes.

Documentary filmmaking was also strongly represented in this year’s class. Four nonfiction works were selected: Ken Burns’ Brooklyn Bridge, Nancy Buirski’s civil rights documentary The Loving Story, George T. Nierenberg’s gospel celebration Say Amen, Somebody, and Danny Tedesco’s music documentary The Wrecking Crew.

With these additions, the National Film Registry now includes 925 titles. Some films are preserved directly within the Library of Congress’ moving image collection, which contains more than two million items, while others are safeguarded through partnerships with copyright holders and film archives.
 

Complete List of 2025 National Film Registry Additions

• The Tramp and the Dog (1896)
• The Oath of the Sword (1914)
• The Maid of McMillan (1916)
• The Lady (1925)
• Sparrows (1926)
• Ten Nights in a Barroom (1926)
• White Christmas (1954)
• High Society (1956)
• Brooklyn Bridge (1981)
• Say Amen, Somebody (1982)
• The Thing (1982)
• The Big Chill (1983)
• The Karate Kid (1984)
• Glory (1989)
• Philadelphia (1993)
• Before Sunrise (1995)
• Clueless (1995)
• The Truman Show (1998)
• Frida (2002)
• The Hours (2002)
• The Incredibles (2004)
• The Wrecking Crew (2008)
• Inception (2010)
• The Loving Story (2011)
• The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)