The Library of Congress hosts many free screenings featuring a variety of films including those on the National Film Registry. These events are held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and at the Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia.
Free Film Screenings
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EventThe Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932) Joan Blondell and Madge Evans star as ambitious young women navigating love, money, and survival in Depression-era New York. Directed by Lowell Sherman, this sharp pre-Code comedy crackles with fast dialogue and lots of attitude. Restored by the Library of Congress and The Film Foundation. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. Black & white, 80 min. (Digital)- Date: 2026-03-05
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EventWhen Harry Met Sally... (1989) In memory of Rob Reiner: This landmark romantic comedy stars Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as they explore whether men and women can truly be friends. Under Reiner’s expert direction, it reshaped the genre. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and selected for the National Film Registry. Color, 96 min. (Film)
- Date: 2026-03-06
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EventFilm screening: Young Frankenstein (1974) A spoof of classic Frankenstein films that has been called “one of the funniest (and most quotable) movies of all time."- Date: 2026-03-12
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EventFilm screening: Young Frankenstein (1974) A spoof of classic Frankenstein films that has been called “one of the funniest (and most quotable) movies of all time."- Date: 2026-03-12
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EventThe Family Jewels (1965) Happy 100th birthday, Jerry Lewis! Jerry stars opposite Donna Butterworth in this comedy about a young heiress and the eccentric guardians vying for her fortune. Written and directed by Lewis, the film showcases his virtuoso physical comedy while slipping in sharp satire beneath the slapstick. Color, 99 min. (Film)
- Date: 2026-03-12
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EventThe Karate Kid (1984) Newly added to the National Film Registry! Pat Morita was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in this enduring coming-of-age hit about discipline and mentorship. Starring Ralph Macchio and directed by John G. Avildsen, the film builds emotional power through patience rather than spectacle and stands as a defining classic of the 1980s. Color, 126 min. (Film)
- Date: 2026-03-13
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EventDarby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) Albert Sharpe and a young Sean Connery star in this richly imaginative Irish folktale filled with leprechauns and moral bargains. Directed by Robert Stevenson, the film is celebrated for its pioneering visual effects and its gentle reflections on pride, aging and legacy. Color, 93 min. (Film)
- Date: 2026-03-19
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EventThe Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) Renée Jeanne Falconetti delivers one of cinema’s most revered performances in Carl Theodor Dreyer’s silent masterpiece, selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Silent, with live musical accompaniment by Ben Model. Black & white, 81 min. (Digital)
- Date: 2026-03-20
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EventHumoresque (1946) John Garfield and Joan Crawford star in this lush melodrama of musical ambition and destructive love. Directed by Jean Negulesco, the film blends sweeping music with heightened emotion. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Score and selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Black & white, 125 min. (Film)
- Date: 2026-03-26
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EventState Fair (1933) Janet Gaynor and Will Rogers take the lead in Henry King’s warm portrait of a Midwestern family experiencing romance and temptation at the Iowa State Fair. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Recording and selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Black & white, 80 min. (Film)
- Date: 2026-03-27
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EventFilm screening: Where Danger Lives (1950) A physician (Robert Mitchum) falls in love with a beautiful woman after treating her for attempted suicide and becomes enmeshed in the murder of her husband.- Date: 2026-04-02
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EventLive! At the Library: Latin Music USA (TV-PG), 55 min, (2009) "Latin Music USA” highlights the great American music created by Latinos and celebrates the Latin Rhythms at the heart of Jazz, rock, country and rhythm and blues.- Date: 2026-04-09
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EventFilm screening: The Petrified Forest (1936) A poetic drifter, a longing dreamer, and a desperate gangster willing to wax philosophical meet up under strained circumstances at a lonely desert roadhouse at the edge of the Petrified Forest in Arizona.- Date: 2026-04-23
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Event“Let’s get Lost” [NR], 2h, (1988) Legendary jazz trumpeter Chet Baker’s virtuosity shines in this revealing documentary, made a year before his death, showing a man ravaged by decades of drug use.- Date: 2026-05-15
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EventLive! At the Library: “The Disappearance of Miss Scott” [TV-14], 1h 27mins, (2025) The Disappearance of Miss Scott chronicles Hazel Scott’s meteoric rise as a jazz talent and major Hollywood star. The first African American to have her own television show, she was also an influential civil rights pioneer before being blacklisted during the Red Scare of the 1950’s. Produced by 4th Act Actual for the PBS American Masters series, this rich documentary tells the story of…- Date: 2026-06-04