Guest Post by Haley Beasley and Zeyn Faddoul of Women in Film & Video DC
Human identity remains paramount in its potential as an agent for societal change. Works in literature, art, and film directly reflect our progress, shaped by our cultural identity. Think about it this way: if aliens were to invade our planet, they would pour over our archived books, paintings, and films to get a glimpse at understanding the human condition.
Film remains an integral part of our daily lives on par with the greatest novels and museum masterpieces, continuously gaining more significance in our American culture. Whether we consider short films, feature films, documentaries, or narrative stories, we cannot deny the prominence and influence of this medium.
In 1988, the Library of Congress founded the National Film Registry (NFR) to recognize the range and diversity of American films in order to increase awareness for their preservation. To be nominated, a film must be at least 10 years old and it must be “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Now comes the exciting part, where you can influence their selections. While women have been an integral part of creating incredible, moving films since the invention of the medium, their work is significantly underrepresented in this national collection. The NFR welcomes public nominations for consideration by the National Film Preservation Board, composed of representatives of various film related organizations. A person may nominate up to 50 films per year but may only nominate each film once. You can nominate eligible films here.
Women in Film & Video develops an annual list of suggested nominations to encourage more representation of women-made films in the collection. Due to our efforts “Dance, Girl, Dance” directed by Dorothy Arzner (1940), “Growing Up Female” directed by Julia Reichert and Jim Klein (1971), and “A League of Their Own” directed by Penny Marshall (1992) are now in the National Film Registry. They join other ground-breaking women-directed films and start to provide a better representation of the American experience.
Our suggested nominations for 2016 are:
1. “The Big House” (1930) — written by Frances Marion, edited by Blanche Sewell
2. “He’s Only Missing” (1978) — written/directed by Robin Smith
3. “Paris is Burning” (1990) — written/directed by Jennie Livingston
4. “Fast Food Women” (1992) — written/directed by Anne Lewis
5. “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993) — screenplay/directed by Nora Ephron
6. “Boys Don’t Cry” (1999) — written/directed by Kimberly Peirce
7. “What Women Want” (2000) — directed by Nancy Meyers
8. “Lost in Translation” (2003) — written/directed by Sofia Coppola
9. “Mean Girls” (2004) — screenplay by Tina Fey
10. “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) — screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna
You can read more about this year’s nominations here. It is shocking to us that these women are not currently represented in the National Film Registry. We encourage you to nominate them and any other films you judge as eligible here. You can also help us spread the word about our 2016 nominations on Facebook and Twitter!
Gender equality, or shall we say inequality, in Hollywood is a major issue. However, there are traces of improvement and change in the status quo. Your nominations to this year’s NFR will not only help radicalize the female minority in Hollywood, but it will also mark your culture and your identity. Let us change the numbers, improve equality, and define ourselves.
