There are more things to do on weekends in Ames than watch a movie in a dorm room.

“I get tired of students whining about how they have nothing to do on the weekends,” Tim Jennings, director of SUB Films said. “There’s really a lot of stuff on campus to do, you just have to take the time to look.”

SUB Films is one of the more popular weekend diversions put on by the Student Union Board. By bringing lesser-known classics as well as current independent and foreign films, SUB Films offers students a break from mainstream flicks.

Although some mainstream movies are included in the programming, SUB tries to focus on more non-traditional films, adding variety to student opportunities.

“We try to bring to ISU what people can’t get in the theaters,” Jennings said. “I think people are tired of seeing movies of asteroids plummeting towards earth and movies with big effects and bad acting.”

SUB is also behind many other activities offered on campus, including Maintenance Shop concerts. With shows ranging from mainstream hits Tripping Daisy and The Atomic Fireballs to local favorites Medulla Oblongata, the M-Shop provides a low-cost music outlet for students.

SUB prides itself for bringing the majority of its activities to ISU at low cost to students.

“Keeping prices on all of our activities low is an important thing,” Jennings said. “You can check out some great national bands for five bucks and go to movies on the weekend for two bucks, plus get free popcorn. We know that cash is a hard thing for students to come by, so we do our best to provide entertainment that’s affordable.”

Some other activities sponsored by SUB include art displays in the Memorial Union, and the multicultural talent show, Cafe Au Lait. SUB also produces Varieties, a university-wide talent show where students can participate in skits, vignettes, or emcee groups.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary along with the M-Shop, SUB Films has been bringing art, popular, obscure and foreign films to ISU since 1974.

SUB Films, originally held in the M-Shop, was one of the earliest forms of art and multicultural entertainment available to ISU.

After experiencing some turbulence and lack of interest in the films during the early ’80s, SUB Films started showing art movies to students again in 1986.

Planning for the semester’s films begins in the fall. The films are selected by suggestions and input from the SUB Films committee.

Also brainstormed are themes and events to take place during the semester. Themes and events vary from month to month, giving students a variety of films from which to choose.

During the month of February, SUB Films has been celebrating cultural diversity with its foreign film festival. Foreign films are a rarity on SUB screens, normally only showing two or three times a semester.

“We wanted to bring the opportunity for people who are into foreign films to see them,” Jennings said. “Instead of showing a couple films per semester, we’ve been showing a couple per week throughout the month.”

The films are critically acclaimed classics from other countries that capture different cultures, film styles and time periods.

Showing tonight will be Japanese film “Throne of Blood,” which is based on Shakespeare’s MacBeth. The movie is essentially MacBeth set in Japan, drawing up similarities to the U.S. blockbuster “Romeo and Juliet.”

“Throne of Blood” is directed by veteran Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, who has influenced the likes of George Lucas, among others.

Through its mass appeal and variety of films, SUB Films has proven to be a successful outlet for ISU students.

Films are shown in the Pioneer Room of the Memorial Union at 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.