After turning away approximately 500 people from its first sold-out showing, UCSB Arts & Lectures plans to re-screen “The Corporation” at 7:30 tonight in Campbell Hall.

The documentary, which was first shown to a capacity crowd at Campbell Hall on Sept. 29, comments on the increasing influence of corporations in the international arena and on American politics. Roman Baratiak, in charge of Arts & Lectures films, said the first screening disappointed hundreds of people who could not get into the showing after the 860-person capacity of the theater was filled.

Approximately 600 tickets to the showing were sold in advance, leaving only 260 tickets available for purchase at the door, Baratiak said. Event staff unfolded an additional 20 seats in the back of the theater to compensate for the larger-than-expected crowd.

Baratiak said he was surprised by the overwhelming popularity of the documentary.

“We were turning people away from the parking lot to avoid off-campus viewers having to pay for parking for a show that was already sold out,” he said.

Arts & Lectures felt that there was still sufficient interest in the film to warrant a second screening, Baratiak said.

“The re-screening was decided upon simply because of the number of people that were turned away,” he said. “It hasn’t occurred often in the past when an unexpected demand is as apparent as it was with this documentary.”

“The Corporation,” released in 2003, has been compared in recent Entertainment Weekly and New York Observer reviews to other successful political documentaries such as Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11.” Both documentaries aim to expose issues surrounding alleged corruption within contemporary politics and corporate America.

Baratiak said he has noticed an increasing interest in documentaries within the general public, and said he supports the growing trend of having topical issues spliced with popular entertainment.

“It is important for students to watch documentaries like ‘The Corporation,’ and I’m excited to see the amount of interest that there is in this type of film,” he said.

As of Wednesday morning, an estimated 200 tickets have already been prepaid for, Baratiak said. Arts & Lectures expects a last minute influx in ticket sales before tonight’s showing.

The re-screening is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Campbell Hall. Ticket prices remain the same as the previous screening: $6 for the general public, $5 for UCSB students with valid campus identification. Tickets may be purchased in advance until 5:00 p.m.