Half of all the movies produced before 1950 and 90 percent of all motion pictures made before 1920 have disappeared forever. To preserve what has come to be regarded as the definitive American art form, the United States Congress established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988. Under its provisions, the librarian of Congress, with direction from the National Film Preservation Board, is empowered to select up to 25 "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films" each year for the National Film Registry. To be eligible, films must be at least 10 years old, though they need not be feature-length or have had a theatrical release in order to be considered. The legislation's intent is that the broadest possible range of films be eligible for consideration.
To date, the maximum number of 25 classic films each year have been tabbed for inclusion in the National Film Registry, bringing the full roster to 300 through the year 2000. The National Film Preservation Board was not set up for perpetuity, however, and its mandate must be periodically reviewed by Congress. The initial act covered four years and the National Film Preservation Board was reauthorized in 1992 for four years and again in 1996 for an additional seven years. The nine Board of Directors are appointed by the Librarian of Congress and serve four-year terms. The program is funded with an appropriation of $250,000 per year and is eligible for a matching grant of $250,000.
The Foundation's primary mission is to save what are known as orphan films, films without owners able to pay for their preservation. The films most at-risk are newsreels, silent films, experimental works, films out of copyright protection, significant amateur footage, documentaries, and features made outside the studio distribution system. For instance, one of the additions to the National Film Registry in 2000 was inauguration footage of President William McKinley in 1901. This does not mean the National Film Registry is a repository for the obscure; even non-film buffs will recognize the names of Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The African Queen and more recent classics such as Goodfellas from 1990 that grace the honor roll.
Hundreds of American museums, archives, libraries, universities, and historical societies currently care for "orphaned" original film materials of cultural value. The Foundation works with these film preservation organizations to preserve orphan films and insure their accessibility to future generations of Americans. The Library of Congress itself contains the world's largest collection of film - more than 300,000 films and television titles.
The biggest enemy of film preservationists is the nitrates used in older film. In the worst case, nitrates deteriorate and it becomes impossible to run the film through a projector and the movie is lost forever. In other cases, films not kept under perfect conditions will have their colors fade and blur. Even acetate-based film once considered to be impermeable to age was found to be susceptible to what technicians refer to as the "vinegar syndrome." Film needs to be stored at temperatures near freezing and as dry as possible to prevent the acetate base from dissolving into acetic acid, the main acid in vinegar.
Once a film is added to the National Film Registry, the Library of Congress arranges preservation of the prints through its own program in Dayton, Ohio and through collaboration with other institutions.
The public is encouraged to make nominations for the National Film Registry. In addition to being at least 10 years old, a film should have historical or entertainment significance. Anyone desiring to make nominations must limit their choices to 50 titles per year. The nominations are then reviewed by the librarian of Congress and discussed with film experts and the 40 members and alternates of the National Film Preservation Board.
Some of the organizations represented in the review process are the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers; the American Film Institute; the American Society of Cinematographers and the International Photographers Guild; the Association of Moving Image Archivists; the Directors Guild of America; the Motion Picture Association of America; the National Association of Theater Owners; the National Society of Film Critics; the Department of Film and Television of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University; the Screen Actors Guild of America; the Society for Cinema Studies; the Society of Composers and Lyricists; the United States members of the International Federation of Film Archives; the University Film and Video Association; the Department of Film and Television of the School of Theater, Film and Television at the University of California, Los Angeles; and the Writers Guild of America.
From these folks each year come the 25 elite films to be added to the National Film Registry. Nominations can be made to: the National Film registry; Library of Congress, MBRS Division; Washington, D.C.
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