Francisco Ochoa, musician and lifelong film enthusiast, has established Ripperside Cinema Galore, bringing independent and cult cinema screenings to Riverside.
Ochoa stopped playing in bands in 2019 due to complications from diabetes that affected his ability to play guitar. "I couldn't hold guitar strings," Ochoa said. When the pandemic hit shortly after, it cemented his decision to step away from music.
During lockdown, Ochoa immersed himself in films, rekindling his longstanding interest in cinema. After restrictions lifted, he began traveling to venues like the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana and the New Beverly in Los Angeles, where he noticed many fellow Inland Empire residents making the same trek.
This observation sparked the idea for a local film series. Drawing on his background in the local punk scene, Ochoa launched Ripperside Cinema Galore last October with a screening of George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead on 16mm film.
The basement of Back to the Grind, located at 3575 University Ave. in Downtown Riverside, has proven to be an ideal venue for Ochoa's vision. Long known as a hub for underground arts and music, the space offers the intimate, DIY atmosphere that complements the cult films Ochoa selects. With its brick walls, low ceilings, and history of hosting punk shows and art exhibitions, the basement provides the perfect setting for an alternative cinema experience.
"It replaced the music for me," Ochoa explained. "I still get to hang out with my friends, I still get to curate playlists for the events. It's all the same world to me."
Ripperside Cinema Galore operates with a $10 suggested donation, with proceeds going toward acquiring films and securing screening rights. While initial screenings used 16mm projections, Ochoa has since transitioned to DVD format.
Beginning in October, which marks the one-year anniversary of his film series, Ochoa will host screenings on the second Saturday of each month at Back to the Grind. His upcoming screening on June 14 will feature Penelope Spheeris' 1983 punk classic Suburbia, a film that "really hit me when I was younger," according to Ochoa.
For information on future screenings, film enthusiasts can follow Ochoa on Instagram.
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