Iconic Americana on 16mm Film - AV Club

Reel America: People Who Shape a Nation

As the United States' 250th birthday party comes to an end, join us for a 16mm film screening of iconic American symbols throughout history. Get a glimpse of how the country's people have changed its landscape and left their mark on what it means to be an American citizen. For more information, please contact the branch at (305) 535-4219 or capleyb@mdpls.org. Ages 10 yrs.+

About the Series:

2026 marks the United States’ semiquincentennial – its 250th birthday! Join us to celebrate the big birthday all year long with a monthly film selection showing the people from the past and present that had a hand in creating these United States. Get a monthly cinematic glimpse of what America looks like! 

About the Films:

• Our Country's Flag, 1971, 9 mins.
  • This short film is an adaptation of the children's book by Nicholas Gergiady and uses prints, paintings, manuscripts, animated maps, and flags in telling the history of the American flag.

• Last Stronghold of the Eagles, 1981, 30 mins.
  • This National Audubon Society film explores the life cycle of the bald eagle, from courtship, through mating, to the raising and fledging of young eaglets. Culminates in the winter gathering of thousands of eagles in southeast Alaska, where human development now threatens their habitat.

• A Visit to EPCOT Center, 1983, 20 mins.
  • This inside look produced by the Walt Disney Educational Media Company gives a close-up look at the realization of Walt Disney's greatest dream - a magnificent 260-acre showplace inspired by human ingenuity and enterprise. Tour the innovative attractions of Future World and visit the great nations of the world in World Showcase.

• Cowboy's Claim, 1985, 26 mins.
  • Describes how real estate development, commerce, crowding, and crime threaten the ranchers of Osceola County in Florida. Shows how cowboys work and play in a rapidly changing Florida.

About the Film Collection

The 16mm film collection has been part of the Library's holdings for over 55 years. It began in the 1960s, and its first films were part of the City of Miami’s public library before there was a county library. When MDPLS was formed, the County supplemented its local funding for films with Federal LSCA (Library Services and Construction Act) grants. Apart from leased feature films, all films were purchased for free exhibition for the life of the print. Subjects within the collection include experimental/avant-garde art films, non-narrated films, children’s films, Black history, Floridiana, and local history. Today, there are over 4,000 films within the collection.

About the Division of Special Collections & Archives

Miami-Dade Public Library System’s Division of Special Collections & Archives holds rare and irreplaceable historical documents for the benefit of the public and scholarly community. They oversee the Helen Muir Florida Collection, 16mm Film Collection, Cuban Collection of Rare Books & Ephemera, Genealogy Collection, The Vasari Project, and rare & antiquarian books from as early as the 17th century. The Division's primary goal is to provide the public with the contents of the vault at their request. Its collections include rare books, original manuscripts, over 18,000 photographs, prints, artifacts, audiovisual resources, and electronic media.

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