UNM's Southwest Film Center officials say they fear for the future of the historic program, which has entertained the University community since the 1960s.
Thomas Andrews, executive director of the film center, said he got more than he bargained for when he agreed to allow the Midweek Movie Series program to share the theater this semester.
Andrews said he was approached by Eliseo Torres, vice president of Student Affairs, in the fall about bringing in mainstream movies during the week to broaden the variety of films offered at the theater.
Stretched for time and resources, Andrews said the Student Activities Center took control of the Midweek Movie Series, which shows recently released movies three days a week at the theater.
"Since then, they've kind of brought down our reputation," Andrews said, adding that the mainstream movies the midweek program prefers don't often conform with the ideology of the alternative, independent movies that are the staple of the Southwest Film Center.
"The movies they choose are not intelligent. They are not what an institution of higher learning should want its students to see."
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Andrews said it seemed like a good idea to share the theater at the beginning, but now he's wondering how it will affect his business.
He said the price discrepancy is also an issue.
The Southwest Film Center's admission is $3, while the Midweek Movie Series charges $1 per person.
Andrews said this is costing the film center precious patrons.
"The two programs often have back-to-back films at the theater, and naturally people are going to go to the cheaper film," he said.
Andrews said all last year the SWFC had two events that no one showed up for. So far this semester, he said, they have already matched that number.
"We know the University wants to cater to all groups on campus, but this is hurting us," he said. "It almost seems like they're trying to undercut us."
University officials, however, see the situation much differently.
"Our goal was to have both of these programs complement each other," Vice President Torres said. "We're not trying to harm the Southwest Film Center in any way. We support them 100 percent."
Torres said he created the midweek program in response to student requests for more film options at the theater.
"We are just trying to be sensitive to students' desires," he said. "We intended for the programs to offer different options."
But that difference in options is exactly what Andrews is worried about.
"The midweek program is about something entirely different than what we stand for, but they're being associated with us," he said. "It is impeding on our territory a little bit."
Jennifer Onuska, president of ASUNM, the student government body that funds the Southwest Film Center, said the University cares about the film center and values its future.
"We really wanted the two programs to complement each other," she said, adding that the programs' movies are even previewed before each other's events.
Onuska said the prosperity of the film center is not in jeopardy, and the University relies on the center's fan base to start new programs.
"The film center really is an asset to us," she said.
Andrews doesn't seem convinced, though, and said he disagrees with the decisions being made regarding the theater.
"We need to focus on showing films with some educational value," he said. "We need to do our part to help uphold the integrity of the University."
