There is an alternative to the highly advertised Hollywood productions in State College. And you won't even have to open your wallet or flash your student ID to see it.

The Graduate Student Association is once again presenting its Critically Acclaimed Film Experience (C.A.F.E.), showcasing a span of both art house and international films every Friday and Saturday night.

The only challenge you might have is finding the theaters, which are tucked away inside Kern and Chambers buildings on the northwest corner of campus. Film enthusiasts, though, have been filling classrooms with a screen and a projector since 1990, despite the less than ideal settings.

"I love the GSA C.A.F.E. films because it's hard to find these films anywhere else," Mike Sell (senior-film and video) said. "There's really not a place to go see foreign films in State College."

Co-chairperson Melissa Ho said the GSA C.A.F.E. tries to choose movies that go beyond mainstream popularity.

"We don't necessarily get award winners. We look at things that hit the film festivals that do well," Ho said. "Movies are chosen by recommendations from the public as well. There isn't an overall theme in the series. The more diversity, the better."

Though the film series is popular with the student and community members who view the non-blockbuster films there, the organization is in jeopardy of not continuing next semester unless new leadership steps up.

"Right now it's just me and one other guy. We don't have any one to take my place," said Ho, who is going abroad next semester.

The other co-chairperson, Eric Wheeler, has continued to volunteer with GSA C.A.F.E. even though he is no longer a student. Wheeler, who coordinates all of the projectionists, began even before University Park Allocation Committee funded the movies.

"You had to pay to get in. There was not a student activity fee then," Wheeler said. "The whole point of it was the show independent and foreign movies. Not enough people were coming to those, so we ended up scheduling Hollywood movies to pay way for what we really wanted to show."

The GSA C.A.F.E. stopped charging for admission and returned to showing exclusively art house and independent movies when they started receiving funding from the university.

"All our funding comes from UPAC," Ho said. "Without them we couldn't do anything."

Ho, who spends about an hour or two per week coordinating the films and publicity, asks that any undergraduate or graduate students interested in taking over her position next semester contact her or the GSA at gsa@psu.edu. "Eric can't do it himself, we're all volunteers," said Ho. "We do it because we love film."