National Classic Movie Day is celebrated annually on May 16, thanks to the efforts of Classic Movie Blog Association founder Rick Armstrong.
Here are Rick's words on why he created National Classic Movie Day and how he continues every year to work toward its growing international success. You can find more from Rick on his website, classicfilmtvcafe.com.
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By Rick Armstrong
On an October day in 2014, I pondered this question: If there can be “national days” celebrating kitchen appliances, Nutella, and talking like a pirate, why can’t there be a special day to celebrate classic movies? That was the origin of the “idea” of National Classic Movie Day. Of course, to make that idea a reality, I knew I would need help from a few dozen classic film friends and that’s where the Classic Movie Blog Association (CMBA) enters this story.
I decided to launch the first National Classic Movie Day on May 16, 2015 with the “My Favorite Classic Movie” blogathon. (Incidentally, I chose May 16th because it was the date of the first Academy Awards.) I sent a blogathon invitation to every CMBA member and explained its goal was to spur interest in National Classic Movie Day. The response was incredible!
Over 60 classic movie bloggers, most of them CMBA members, signed up for the blogathon. That level of grassroots support was just what was needed to spark interest in National Classic Movie Day - but it was just the beginning! For the next eight years, I hosted blogathons on National Classic Movie Day that never failed to garner enthusiastic support from CMBA members. Furthermore, many of those members began to promote National Classic Movie Day on their own, especially across their social media platforms.
By May 2024, TV shows like “Live with Kelly & Mark” were celebrating National Classic Movie Day (my wife came across the episode solely by chance!). In 2025, the American Film Institute recognized it with a TikTok video of celebrities naming their favorite films. This past Christmas, a friend gave me a National Day calendar and, sure enough, National Classic Movie Day appeared on the page for May 16, 2026.
People often say to me: “Isn’t every day a classic movie day?” The answer is yes, of course. But it’s nice to take one day every year and share our love of classic cinema with old friends and new fans. If you can interest one person in classic cinema, you may spark a lifelong curiosity, opening a world to new storytelling styles, cultural history, and the joy of seeing where modern film found its roots.
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