Miami Moviegoers Wants You to Make Friends at the Movies

When it comes to friendliness, Miami gets an infamously bad rap. Our city is consistently recognized as one of the rudest in the nation, but in our defense, there are solid reasons for that: Getting trapped on the Palmetto Expressway for hours on end each day would elicit road rage from even the most peaceful among us. Adding insult to injury, it's impossible to make friends when you're locked inside a car because of insufficient public transportation options.

So, when it comes to making friends, locals have to get creative. Enter Miami Moviegoers, a group for local cinephiles founded by Luis Cabrera in 2022. Over the past three years, the group's gatherings have become a second home for local film lovers of all stripes. With pop-up screenings all over the city, these meetups upgrade the regular movie theater experience with film trivia, fun games, and themed socials.

In building a group for cinephiles, Cabrera has also stumbled on an innovative way for locals to meet new people in a city notoriously known for making that difficult.

"Being a Miami native, I understand how hard it is to connect with people, especially over a hobby that is as unusual as being a film lover," Cabrera tells New Times. As the meetups have evolved, he's incorporated short films from local filmmakers as openers for feature films, followed by socials themed around those films.

"We had a goth party after a showing of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," he remembers. "What I have found is that the movie becomes a point of conversation to get people talking and forming connections."

For people who struggle to put themselves out there in social situations, watching a movie together establishes a kinship that makes meeting new people much less daunting. Miami native Victoria Menendez challenged herself to attend a screening of the Mummy (1999) back in 2023. She's been a loyal Moviegoer ever since, and says the group has introduced her to parts of the city she didn't know existed.

"I think creating friendships in Miami is particularly difficult if you're someone who doesn't fit the typical Miami mold," she says. "There are not a lot of events or clubs that cater to such niche interests and personalities, so it can be overwhelming. Whether it's because the city tends to favor events tourists might enjoy over its locals is for anyone to say."

Cabrera echoes Menendez's sentiments — he says he struggled to meet new people in Miami post-pandemic. Moviegoers has helped him, too.

"I have learned a lot since starting this as to what helps build connections...I speak with everyone who walks into my events. If I meet people whom I think might get along well together, I will introduce them. Also, if someone is shy, I will be the extrovert who goes out of their way to bring them out of their shell," he says.

Moviegoers go all out for screenings. The group's Atomic Barbie Weekend Spectacular featured a Barbie-themed fashion show, and attendees dressed up as different Nicolas Cage characters to watch Dream Scenario (2023) at the Gems Film Festival. The Exorcist Halloween party stands out for Menendez.

"Gables Cinema was playing the Exorcist on Halloween for its 50th anniversary. Luis had planned a pre-screening get-together at John Martin's Irish Pub, where there'd be Halloween games, costumes, and a Pazuzu-themed drink that glowed," she remembers. "Yours truly ended up being the designated tarot reader for the night. I must have read dozens of people's futures, including my friend Dani, whom I met that night after she decided to read my cards."

We Met at Secret Movie Night. 5 p.m. Friday, August 10, at the German American Social Club, 11919 SW 56th St., Miami; miamimoviegoers.com.