I bought me a Xaomi 4K ultra short throw projector for under $2,000 4 years ago. It projects to my 150” screen with excellent contrast, resolution and brightness. I love that projector. I would consider it a real projector. Look up Ultra Short Throw projectors. I know there are a bunch of new ones on the market. You want good resolution and high lumens. Most cheap ones don’t do either.
That seems pretty low. Mine is 1600 ANSI and I wouldn’t go any lower. I would also suggest a good screen. I have the PET Crystal screen by XYScreens. It was expensive but well worth it.
It's been a while since I've used a projector - when I screened films at a cultural center - and I seem to remember that even for a small space that would fit an audience of thirty, 2000 lumens was on the lower end of acceptability.