In the early 1970s, things began to change with the rise of the blaxploitation genre—the Black cousin of exploitation cinema—which, for a brief period, made waves in the American grindhouse circuit and occasionally even broke into mainstream cinema with films that were violent, sexy, and funky. Emerging from the civil rights and Black Power movements, blaxploitation was a contradictory, confrontational, and controversial phenomenon that both challenged and reinforced prevailing racial stereotypes, reflected but also exaggerated life in urban ghettos, and alienated as many moviegoers, critics, and activists as it attracted. Its profane language, gratuitous female nudity, and explicit violence also appealed to white audiences, even as the films brimmed with pent-up anger over injustice and defiantly gave the middle finger to privileged White America.

The lineup features two of the strongest blaxploitation films ever made: Super Fly, a superb action film set to Curtis Mayfield’s now-iconic soundtrack, and Coffy, notable for its groundbreaking portrayal of a strong, independent African American female lead in Pam Grier.