USG funds UFO, helps manage debt

Every week, the University Film Organization brings big-name movies to campus. At the end of last year, however, the cost of obtaining film copyrights began to strain the organization's funds.

To save the student-run UFO from collapse, the USG incorporated it into its charter.

Now a subcommittee of the USG social committee, the UFO has an annual budget of about $35,000, said Mike Kimberly '03, former USG treasurer. It sells between 6,000 and 8,000 tickets per year, which generates revenue of about $15,000.

Founded four years ago, the UFO was formerly supported by the Frist Campus Center, the Trustee's Alcohol Initiative and other groups.

"It was clear that those sources of funding were not reliable in the long run. It was an experiment that everyone was willing to entertain for a few years," Kimberly said.

Last year, when the USG applied for a student fee increase, the first since 1996, it offered to absorb the UFO. The UFO is still allowed to function autonomously, he said.

As an independent organization, the UFO could not cover its costs. Each movie in its main "Big Screen" series costs $1,000. Although the group charged $3 per ticket, it was unable to fund side projects like UFO+, said Yousefi Vali '05, vice president of the UFO.

This year, the UFO has been able to stay under its budget, though it does not make a profit.

"Our goal isn't to make profits, but to get people out to see these movies," Vali said.

To do so, the UFO has cut its admission fee to $2 and increased advertising. With monthly flyers, posters next to the ticket booth and a table in Frist, the organization seeks to make its movies more accessible to students. The UFO is also revamping its website, making it more interactive.

"We're still working on it. We're a new board, so we're just trying to find ways to reach out to everyone," Vali said.

The UFO is also trying to draw a larger audience by inviting film directors and University professors to give reviews and criticisms of the movies it shows.

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The USG will continue to sponsor the UFO and manage the debt it incurs, said USG president Pettus Randall '04.

"We believe that UFO is a very important aspect of social life on Princeton's campus, not only is it a fun activity, but it's an alternate social option," Randall said.

Other student organizations that wish to show films often work through the UFO. The UFO helps to sponsor events like Black History Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month film series.

These groups usually pay for more than 50 percent of the cost, starting at a base of $100, Vali said. They must provide their own venue and time of showing because the UFO's access to the Frist Theater is limited.

The UFO also funds a free movie series, UFO+, through its organization's main movie line. UFO+ shows more eclectic and less known films. This semester's theme is "woman and sexuality in French cinema," and the first movie is "Le Femme Nikita," Vali said.