The Animated Ladies of the 2018 Library of Congress Film Registry!

A vital selection is made each year, to ensure the preservation of our collective filmic past. Under the ongoing terms of the National Film Preservation Act under the Library of Congress, 25 films are chosen for their significance "culturally, historically or aesthetically" to document our history, culture and film experience. Preservation of these titles is vital. From our earliest cinematic beginnings to more recent classics, this year's selections span 107 years of brilliance — reflecting the diversity of our world and the stories we share. The 2018 line-up is a splendid list of wide-ranging content (listed below) including two animated films featuring women both on and off screen:

The 1984 short animated film, Hair Piece: A Film for Nappy-Headed People, was produced by one of the first black female animators, Ayoka Chenzira. “For my independently produced animated experimental film to be included in the National Film Registry is quite an honor,” said Chenzira. “I never imagined that ‘Hair Piece’ would be considered to have cultural significance outside of its original intent, which was a conversation and a love letter to Black women (and some men) about identity, beauty and self-acceptance in the face of tremendous odds.”

Cinderella — Walt Disney's 1950 animated classic of a young girl's challenges in finding her destiny, has proven to be the definitive telling of this timeless tale and a visual masterpiece. From the early explorations of Cinderella's story by Dorothy Ann Blank, to concept artwork by Bianca Majolie in the 1930s, and the final film's tour-de-force artistry of Mary Blair, this film ensured the continuation of Disney animation. Mary Blair's brilliant use of color, form and staging to convey emotion, along with her visual explorations of size, scope and scale captured the desired sincerity and innocence Walt sought for his heroine. "Mary had a keen eye with the heart of a child," recalled her dear friend, Alice Davis. "That's the perfect blend for animation."

Thanks to the National Film Registry, these notable animated women take their rightful place within our preserved past! Take a fresh look at all of these remarkable films, knowing that they will be preserved for generations to come! Brava!

2018 Library of Congress National Film Registry Selections (in alphabetical order)

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Broadcast News (1987)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Cinderella (1950)

Days of Wine and Roses (1962)

Dixon-Wanamaker Expedition to Crow Agency (1908)

Eve's Bayou (1997)

The Girl Without A Soul (1917)

Hair Piece: A Film for Nappy-Headed People (1984)

Hearts and Minds (1974)

Hud (1963)

The Informer (1935)

Jurassic Park (1993)

The Lady From Shanghai (1947)

Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

Monterey Pop (1968)

My Fair Lady (1964)

The Navigator (1924)

On The Town (1949)

One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

Pickup on South Street (1953)

Rebecca (1940)

The Shining (1980)

Smoke Signals (1998)

Something Good — Negro Kiss (1898)