For students wishing to dig a little deeper into the world of cinema, a new student organization, The Movie Appreciation Club, might be the place to go.

MAC is organized by the Honors College Assembly under the Arts Awareness division.

Kirkland Back, the HCA’s director of Arts Awareness and supervisor of MAC, and Lis Garcia, director of MAC, founded the Movie Appreciation Club this year as an outlet for students to explore the realm of film and filmmaking.

“I thought if I’m interested in having a film club, there must be tons of other people on campus who feel the same way,” Garcia, a junior majoring in public relations and spanish, said.

Back, a junior majoring in honors English, said she thought the idea would be a good way to invest their time in arts awarenes when Garcia pitched the idea to her.

MAC, which meets every Monday at 7 p.m. in Lloyd Hall Room 202, provides a chance for students to engage in meaningful conversations about cinema without fear of being judged for their opinions.

“We really want to provide a home base for people to just to come and discuss films,” Garcia said. “ I feel like sometimes, when you express an idea about a film that’s contrary to what popular opinion is, you kind of feel like a minority in the group, but this is a place where people with tons of views can [share their opinions] without having to feel awkward about it.”

Members of MAC will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and appreciation of cinema by viewing a wide variety of movies, including both foreign and American films, ranging anywhere from indie flicks to classics to documentaries.

“We really want to have a broad view,” Garcia said. “We don’t want to watch a lot of films that everyone has seen because the point of appreciating film is getting a wide, diverse range of film.”

MAC isn’t just a club for those interested in watching movies. Aspiring filmmakers, directors and screenwriters can find their niche in this club, as well.

MAC plans to bring in a variety of individuals who are experienced in the art of film and filmmaking to speak at its meetings, and those students wishing to unleash their inner directors will have the opportunity to work with a professor outside of the regular meeting times to create their own films.

William Nolan, an assistant professor in the Honors College and MAC’s faculty advisor, hopes MAC members will learn to appreciate movies for more than just their entertainment value.

“While the history of cinema has been dominated by telling stories through film, it’s important to remember that movies very often do something else, and some movies don’t tell much of a story at all,” Nolan said. “An interest in that something else that movies do, that something that maybe only movies do, that’s what I hope to see students getting out of and pursuing in this club, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Although MAC is run through the Honors College, it’s not exclusive to Honors students. Any student with an interest in film is welcome to join. For more information about the Movie Appreciation Club, contact Lis Garcia at [email protected] or visit the Honors College Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/The-University-of-Alabama-Honors-College/152266139262.