Bambi is about to rub shoulders with Hannibal Lecter, while The Kid will get acquainted with Forrest Gump, at the Library of Congress in Washington.

The four crowd-pleasing motion pictures are among 25 celluloid gems being added this year to the National Film Registry at the de facto national library of the US.

“These films are selected because of their enduring significance to American culture,” chief librarian James Billington said last Wednesday in a statement.

“Our film heritage must be protected because these treasures document our history and culture and reflect our hopes and dreams.”

The Library of Congress – the world’s biggest in terms of books in its collection – tops up the National Film Registry annually.

This year’s picks span nine decades, from the silent The Cry of the Children and A Cure for Pokeritis from 1912, to The Silence of the Lambs , starring Anthony Hopkins, from 1991, and Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks from 1994.