Harlan County, U.S.A. (Barbara Kopple, 1976)
Support the 2018 Women-Centric Nominations to the National Film Registry
The Library of Congress accepts 2019 recommendations from the general public for its National Film Registry via their online form. The deadline is September 15th, 2018.
The Women’s Film Preservation Fund (WFPF) is asking NYWIFT members to consider nominating your favorite woman made films to the Registry.
The National Film Registry is a list of films deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress. These films are not selected as the ‘best’ American films of all time, but rather as works of enduring importance to American culture. They reflect who we are as a people and as a nation. 25 films are selected each year.
Public recommendations play a key role in the National Film Registry’s Librarian and Film Board their final selection, so every vote counts.
To date, over 700 films have been selected to the Registry. Approximately 40 of these films on the list are women directed works. 7 out of 40 are WFPF titles (see below), including Harlan County, USA, pictured above. Of course, all of these 40 selections are incredibly important, but we’d like to see this number increase exponentially. This would help increase awareness of women’s contribution and place in cinematic history and reflect the diverse significant voices we bring to the art form.
Nominate a WFPF preservation today, or nominate another woman made film. The films elected can be in need of preservation, or can be those which have already been preserved, but must be at least 10 years old. View the list of WFPF online. Please check the Registry list of previously nominated films to ensure your vote is a title in need of recommendation.
Women’s Film Preservation Fund supported titles already appointed to the National Film Registry list:
The Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man (1975)
Mimi Pickering
Growing Up Female (1971)
Julia Reichert, Jim Klein
Harlan County USA (1976)
Barbara Kopple
Matrimony’s Speed Limit (1913)
Alice Guy-Blache
Tarantella (1940)
Mary Ellen Bute
Unmasked (19170
Grace Cunard
Where Are My Children (1916)
Lois Weber
