Classic Black Cinema Series: Coffy

In this 1973 film, Pam Grier shines as the lead character, Coffy. As a nurse, Coffy has seen the ill effects of drugs up close, but it isn't until her little sister becomes addicted to heroin that she finally decides to wage a one-woman battle. Disguised as a prostitute, Coffy goes on a killing rampage, at first going after street dealers and pimps such as sleazy King George (Robert DoQui), then gradually working her way up to bigger honchos. All of this makes her a heroine with whom we can sympathize and cheer on.

Specifically designed as a vehicle to expose the community to the vast artistic value black film has had throughout the years, the goal of the film series is to appeal to as diverse a population as possible and further the appreciation of Black cinema. Curator and host, Felix Curtis, came to Charlotte from the Oakland/San Francisco Bay area where he curated The San Francisco Black Film Festival and Black Filmworks, the annual film festival component of the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, where he later served as Executive Director.