Blaxploitation film festival to be held at Alamo Drafthouse

Christopher Howley
Corpus Christi Caller Times

The Corpus Christi chapter of the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education is hosting a film festival honoring Blaxploitation films.

Starting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the chapter will be screening a Blaxploitation film once a week at Alamo Drafthouse throughout Black History Month. 

The five films selected for the festival are "Shaft," "Super Fly," "Cornbread, Earl and Me," "Foxy Brown" and "Dolemite."

The Corpus Christi Alamo Drafthouse Cinema celebrates its grand opening Friday.

The screening of "Shaft" will be Jan. 17 at 4 p.m. and will include a kick-off event prior to the showing.

“This year our organization plans to revisit, reflect and reclaim our time,” chapter President Simoné Sanders said. "This movie selection celebrates an era and also recognizes some of the parallels between what was captured on screen over 40 years ago and what exists in current day society."

Blaxploitation movies, films starring Black-majority casts and produced by Black directors and script writers, debuted during the Black civil rights movement. 

Carlos Israel Villarreal, a Corpus Christi filmmaker, will speak about the history of the Blaxploitation genre and take questions during the kick-off event.

The other four films will be shown on each of the four Saturday nights in February at 5 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse. 

Tickets for all five showings can be reserved on EventBrite or by calling 361-695-6661. 

Christopher Howley covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Support more coverage like this at Caller.com/subscribe.

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