Carolina Union Activities Board partners with mtvU to bring 'Act of Valor' to the Varsity Theater

For a media network like mtvU, the Carolina Union Activities Board serves as an ideal outlet for promotion.

The two groups are collaborating to bring the film “Act of Valor,” which stars a number of active-duty servicemembers in a fictional combat narrative, to the Varsity Theater tonight.

Jesse Vineyard, film chairman for CUAB, said that mtvU contacted the group about hosting the screening.

“It’s great for publicity,” he said.

CUAB President Cierra Hinton said in the last academic year the two groups collaborated on three screenings, including Academy Award-winner “The Social Network.”

“It varies from year to year dependent on what they have available for advance screenings,” she said.

Vineyard said this is the only screening they have been contacted about so far this year.

Up front, CUAB covers the cost of the event, which is mainly theater rental costs. Vineyard said they will be fully imbursed by mtvU later.

CUAB’s budget for 2011-2012 was $364,000 from one-third of student organizations fees. The group spent close to $86,000 of that in the fall.

Because of renovations to the Student Union, the screening had to be held at the Varsity, Vineyard said.

But Chad Manhertz, marketing chairman for CUAB, said the off-campus location was also simpler for the mtvU, which — as a private organization — would have had to go through the University to host the event in the Union.

Last spring, video game giant Electronic Arts attempted to host a free concert featuring rapper Snoop Dogg after UNC students won a Facebook contest. But because the contest was not approved by the University or sponsored through a campus group, the concert had to be moved off campus.

CUAB is marketing the film mainly to students studying political science, peace, war and defense and history because of its content, Vineyard said.

“It’s real Navy SEALs in a fictional situation,” he said. “They go on a rescue mission to recover a kidnapped CIA agent.”

Manhertz said the advance screening would be appealing for those interested in the Navy.

“It basically gives you a hands-on experience of what it might be like at the Navy,” he said.

Vineyard said CUAB was looking to host further screenings this semester.

“In the past we’ve usually done two per year, but this year we’ve only been contacted by one (company) so we’ve only been able to do this one screening,” he said.

“I would hope that we could get another one in before the end of the semester, but I’m not sure.”

Contact the Arts Editor at arts@dailytarheel.com.