YOUR DAILY GUIDE TO THE 2011 TACOMA FILM FESTIVAL >>>

What do the films Casablanca, Blazing Saddles, and West Side Story have in common? Besides being popular, they have also been deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and listed on the National Film Registry. Technically a documentary, These Amazing Shadows tells the history and importance of The Registry, a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself, screening for free today at 2 p.m. inside th Theatre on the Square.

Where better to debut a film that celebrates classic movies than at a film festival?

Created by a literal act of Congress, The Registry's board has selected 25 films of cultural, historic and/or aesthetic significance annually for preservation since 1989. From a mix of “sprocket-worn classics” to “consciousness-expanding” works, these chosen few represent snapshots of American history, whether they reflected the era or helped shape it. Directors Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton shot amazing archival footage and interviews with a variety of filmmakers including Christopher Nolan, John Waters and Rob Reiner.

[Theatre on the Square, These Amazing Shadows, 2 p.m., free, 915 Broadway, Tacoma]

Today's film recommendations

Tacoma Film Festival Director Emily Alm recommends you hit the following films today:

INTERNATIONAL SHORTS(12:40 p.m., Tacoma Art Museum): This grouping of seven short foreign films is a first for the Tacoma Film Festival. We've always had films of all lengths from many countries; but this year, I chose to play the shorts together. It's a sort of "passport to independent film," as I like to call it. Each short in this grouping represents a different culture, a different area of the world, and a different approach to storytelling. Not to mention, there's some terrific filmmaking as well.

HARLISTAS: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY (12:40 p.m., The Grand Cinema): I'm not exactly a motorcycle girl. I'm much more likely to be cruising around in my very safe, and very predictable Honda Civic. That's why, upon popping Harlistas: An American Journey in my DVD player, I wasn't sure that it would be up my alley. Boy, was I wrong. The film is so much more than an ode to Harleys - it's an intimate look at family, at relationships, and how the two shape who we are and who we want to be.

Today's Highlights

Late Night Shorts (88 minutes): Six films screen at 9:15 p.m. inside The Grand Cinema including the film They Walk Among Us - a story of romance inspired by monsters and meat cleavers. The filmmakers will be in the house, too.

Losing Control (7 p.m., The Grand Cinema): it's a quirky romantic comedy about a young Bridget Jones-like scientist, Samantha (Miranda Kent), who conducts a controlled experiment to find proof that her boyfriend is "the one."  Written and directed by Valerie Wiess, ths film is loosely based on her experiences getting a PhD at Harvard Medical School. The film was an official selection at the Chicago Comedy Awards, 2011 Vail, Rhode Island International and Stony Brook film festivals.

For a complete list of today's films, click here.

LINK: Opening Night Gala photos

LINK: Three stories behind the stories

LINK: Big stars at the Tacoma Film Festival 2011

LINK: Our Tacoma Film Festival preview

LINK: TFF Director Emily Alm's picks

LINK: TFF on twitter 

LINK: TFF website