We report the synthesis and photophysical properties of Nd(III) and Er(III) complexes with 1-(9-anthryl)-4,4,4-trifluoro-1,3-butandione (9-ATFB). The complexes of [Nd(9-ATFB)(4)](-) and [Er(9-ATFB)(4)](-) produced sensitized near-infrared (NIR) luminescence via the excitation of anthracene. This suggests that the intramolecular energy transfer occurred from the singlet excited state of anthracene to the resonance levels of the metal ions, since the phosphorescence of anthracene is forbidden under normal conditions. The observed quantum yield of the visible luminescence showed that the energy transfer is more efficient for [Nd(9-ATFB)(4)](-) than for [Er(9-ATFB)(4)](-). The lifetimes of the NIR luminescence of the complexes were in the microsecond range. The quantum yields of the sensitized NIR of the complexes were estimated using the lifetime and the energy-transfer quantum yield.