Film lovers looking for more independent or artistic cinema often find it difficult to watch the movies they want to see in the major theaters, so it’s only natural that members of Richmond’s film community would develop their own movie screening groups.

While Richmond does have film screenings with established groups like the James River Film Society and the Richmond Public Library, there’s no longer a physical space dedicated to independent cinema (The Westhampton Theater was demolished in 2016 and Criterion Cinemas at Movieland closed in 2020).

“Since there aren’t any arthouse movie theaters, we’re hoping to provide an outlet for the vibrant cinephile culture that exists here in the form of retrospective screenings and well-curated new features from around the world,” says Lewis Peterson, founder and programming director for Hard Light Cinema, a collective devoted to bringing underrepresented movies to Richmond.

Screenings are mostly free and happen at Studio Two Three and Afterglow Coffee Cooperative. Recent showings have included “Dahomey,” a documentary on the repatriation of ancient statues back to their home in West Africa and acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami’s “Koker Trilogy.” The group’s next screening is “No Other Land,” a highly acclaimed and Academy Award-nominated documentary, made by Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers about the destruction of the West Bank, that has not received any widespread distribution—a huge deal for the collective but also for Richmond audiences.

Several other film collectives have also developed, bringing with them their own spin on what films to show.

CinemaNiche began with music documentaries such as “Sisters with Transistors,” covering women’s integral role in the creation of electronic music, and an innovative feature on visionary musician Brian Eno (“Eno”) that is different each time it’s screened. It also branched out with the 1967 cult horror classic “Spider Baby” that included a live musical performance from the band Blood Ponies. Co-founder Jeff Roll says local audiences want a better variety of cinema that commercial theaters aren’t willing to risk if it’s not a guaranteed blockbuster, which is where CinemaNiche comes in.

Regularly hosted at co-working space Ours, Exposure Cinema recently finished its Black History Month retrospective series “Foundations: The L.A. Rebellion and Birth of a New Black Cinema,” showcasing films from directors who were vital to the Black filmmaker movement in the late 20th Century such as Julie Dash and Haile Gerima. Exposure founder Brandon Shillingford wanted to show films that offer a wider theme for discourse and include a group discussion with attendees afterward.

“There’s a real appetite for films that go against broader narratives, and I think we all want to make those films more available to people who haven’t seen them,” he says. “I want to strip away any accessibility barriers and facilitate a safe space for new relationships with film.”

There’s also Good For Her Films, a monthly series at Starr Hill Beer Hall that focuses on movies featuring femme rage, mostly in the horror genre, which is something that founder Morgan Carey says is very important to filmmaking and should not be overlooked.

“The traditional film scene can sometimes feel exclusionary to people who have different tastes,” she explains. “I wanted to celebrate that these types of movies also have merit and while they might not be regarded as the same level of art as how others may classify them, they still hold a lot of impact.”

And members of New Habit Cinema have a wide variety of genres that are rarely on the big screen including Filipino horror, Eastern European sci-fi and low-budget gems. Some of these have included films like iconic 1970s zombie flicks and an anti-Valentine’s double feature of vulgar-queer films. The collective even hosted a bingo night of community-submitted short films that were randomly selected to give the audience a shot at curation.

With so many types of movies being shown, film lovers are coming out in droves. Every collective says that with each new screening, more people are showing up, and with constant overlap in attendance between the collectives, a genuine film community formed. This prompted the creation of the Richmond City Cinema Club, a social group for film lovers that provides online film discussion along with weekly meetups at the collectives’ screenings, the Byrd Theatre, and Movieland. All the film collectives say it’s heartwarming to see such enthusiasm for film and friendships being developed.

“Because each collective is going for a different niche, they have a more personal touch that welcomes people in,” Peterson says. “These collectives are popping up and finding success because they’re providing an outlet for Richmond’s cinephiles that none of us knew we needed.”

“Watching movies with new friends is always great,” Shillingford says. “There’s a big difference between watching something at home on the couch with your cat and being in an environment seeing something on the big screen with a group of people. It’s a communal thing that we’re experiencing and it’s special.”

As for the future of these collectives, plans are already in motion with each to gain additional momentum. Hard Light wants to someday set up a brick-and-mortar location, Good For Her just launched a new book club for moviegoers, and CinemaNiche is heavily pursuing the new Butthole Surfers documentary, “The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt.”

Eventually, perhaps, another film group will start with its own niche focus and continue to add to the collective.

Upcoming Film Calendar

Good For Her Films: “Love Lies Bleeding” on Feb. 26 and “Ms .45” on March 20 at Starr Hill Beer Hall. Instagram: @goodforherfilms

New Habit Cinema: Film screenings on Feb. 26 and March 12 at Studio Two Three (Films TBD). Instagram: @newhabitcinema

Hard Light Cinema: “No Other Land” on March 1 at Studio Two Three. Instagram: @hardlightrichmond

Exposure Cinema: “Rouge” on March 5 at Studio Two Three. Film screenings on March 12 and 19 at Ours (Films TBD). Instagram: @exposure.cinema

CinemaNiche: “Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound” with pre-show performance by Dave Watkins on March 8 at Studio Two Three. Tickets are $15. Instagram: @cinemanicherva