The GSA C.A.F.E. is back, and despite receiving less University Park Allocation Committee funding than last semester, the film series will return to its usual schedule of two films a week.

For most of last semester, the Graduate Student Association Critically Acclaimed Film Experience (GSA C.A.F.E.) was forced to show only one film each weekend when the University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) cut the group's funding in half. UPAC told the group not enough people were attending the film series, the GSA film committee's former co-chair Chris Radcliff (senior-film and video) said.

"They gave us a little bit less than half [of the money we asked for] this semester, saying there are already enough film screenings on campus," Radcliff said. "They said they couldn't justify giving us our full amount."

UPAC chair Nicole Sandretto said the decreased funding of GSA C.A.F.E. still allows the group to show one film each week.

"There are so many wonderful programs on campus, and as much as we'd like to support all of them 100 percent, we can't do that," Sandretto said. "[The GSA] have been wonderful about funding this on their own."

The GSA found two co-sponsors for the C.A.F.E.: the Colloquy on Asia in the Era of Globalization and the Muslim Student Association, GSA film chair Pouyan Amirshahi (graduate-electrical engineering) said. With these funding sources, the series will show one domestic and one foreign film each weekend.

The Colloquy on Asia in the Era of Globalization is the co-sponsor of two Asian films scheduled in the series so far.

In addition to co-sponsors, the GSA tried to work with film distribution companies to get the movies at reduced prices and changed the lineup to fit the group's budget.

"A lot of the more recognizable films we had to cut because they were too expensive," Radcliff said. "We wanted to show Lost in Translation, but we couldn't."

Instead, the GSA C.A.F.E. will show smaller independent films and international films. Even though Lost in Translation was lost to budget cuts, another critically "big" indie, Thirteen, will be shown at the end of February.

The GSA film committee tries to find movies that are not normally accessible in the area.

"[Theaters in State College] usually show mainstream movies, and they don't show any independent movies," Amirshahi said. "We don't have any foreign movies here."

Radcliff said there are some drawbacks to showing virtually unknown films, including decreased funding in the future.

"Our series this semester is really strong, and it's really great that we're getting things that people haven't heard of because it's a good way to spread the word on smaller films," Radcliff said. "But at the same time, it's less of a draw to casual attendees."

For more information about the film schedule, call the GSA office at 865-4211.