San Antonio congressman seeks recommendations of Latino films for Library of Congress

Only 5% of movies in the National Film Registry are Latino-driven, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro wants to change that.

click to enlarge U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro speaks during an event in San Antonio last year. - Michael Karlis
Michael Karlis
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro speaks during an event in San Antonio last year.
U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro, a Democrat whose district includes San Antonio’s West Side, is again asking constituents for suggestions which Latino-driven films should be inducted into the Library of Congress.

Since 1988, the Library of Congress has chosen 25 films annually to include in the National Film Registry. Although the movies in the registry are considered to represent cultural, historical or aesthetic significance to the United States, only 5% of the 875 titles are Latino-driven, according to Castro.

“For more than a century, Latino filmmakers have poured their talent and creativity into bringing stories to the silver screen,” Castro said in a statement. “As my office launches our third annual public call for nominations, I’m excited to hear from folks across the country about the Latino-driven movies that have had an enduring impact on their lives.”

Those who want to suggest films for the registry can do so by filling out an online form. The only requirements is that the film be Latino-driven and at least 10 years old.

Since launching the initiative in 2021, Castro has successfully advocated for the inclusion of three Latino-driven movies into the National Film Registry: Selena, The Ballad of Gregoria Cortez and ¡Alambrista!.

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Michael Karlis

Michael Karlis is a Staff Writer at the San Antonio Current. He is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., whose work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Orlando Weekly, NewsBreak, 420 Magazine and Mexico Travel Today. He reports primarily on breaking news, politics...

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