Oscar-winners 'Forrest Gump,' 'Silence of the Lambs,' 'Norma Rae' preserved in this year's National Film Registry list

Forrest Gump, Norma Rae, Bambi, and Silence of the Lambs were among the 25 films selected this year to be preserved in the National Film Registry.

Each year, the Library of Congress selects films based on "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significance outlined by the National Film Preservation Act. MSNBC reports that this year, 2,228 films were nominated.

Other films that have been selected include the oldest, A Cure for Pokeritis, a silent comedy made in 1912, and Charlie Chaplin's first full-length feature, The Kid, from 1921.

"These films are selected because of their enduring significance to American culture," said James H Billington in a statement acquired by the BBC. Billington has been the US Congress librarian since 1987. "Our film heritage must be protected because these cinematic treasures document our history and culture and reflect our hopes and dreams," he continued.

Both Forrest Gump and Growing Up Female from 1971, one of the first films to come from the women's liberation movement, received significant support from the public, the Washington Post says.

One film that is missing from the registry is The Times of Harvey Milk, the Washington Post reports.

Billington replied that he doesn’t "think there’s been an absence,” citing such registry films as Midnight Cowboy, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Eaux d’Artifice, by gay filmmaker Kenneth Anger, as examples that “There’s no conscious exclusion of anybody."

Others disagree, saying the fact "That there are no films that reflect gay and lesbian culture and history suggests an area that remains to be addressed," preservationist Bob Rosen told the Post.

Lesser known films that made the list this year, according to MSNBC, include the original War of the Worlds from 1953 and John Ford's epic Western The Iron Horse from 1924, as well as documentary The Negro Soldier produced by Frank Capra showing the heroism of blacks in the armed forces and became mandatory viewing for all soldiers mid0way through WWII.

Started in 1989, this year's list brings the total number of films on the registry to 575.