H. M. Coakley’s urban horror/comedy Holla II, is among the
155 films from around the world, in competition at the PAFF
LOS ANGELES – The much-anticipated Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) marks its 21st year as America’s largest and most prestigious international Black film festival. Opening night on Thursday, February 7, kicks off at the Director’s Guild of America with the feature film “Vipaka,” a multi-layered psychological thriller, starring Forest Whitaker, Anthony Mackie, Sanaa Lathan, Nicole Ari Parker and Mike Epps.
The festival runs through February 18, 2013 at the Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, located on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Marlton and Crenshaw Boulevard. To purchase tickets for the film festival, go to www.paff.org.
Bringing the urban horror/comedy genre to PAFF is writer/producer/director HM Coakley, a Columbia University MFA and native of the U.S. Virgin Islands. His 2013 film “Holla II,” a sequel to his 2007 film “Holla,” will host a red carpet premiere at the PAFF on Fright Night Friday, February 8 at 6:15 p.m.
“I’m so excited to have “Holla II” premiere at the Pan African Film Festival. Holla also premiered there and it helped to secure our sale to Lionsgate,” says Coakley. “PAFF has the best audience of urban film lovers and filmmakers and I look forward to similar success with Holla II.” The film stars the amazing talents of Vanessa Bell Calloway, Trae Ireland, Akeem Smith, Keily Williams, and Gregory Cipes. Holla II is presented by Rockstone Releasing, LaMiss Enterprises, and Queen Nefertari Productions and was produced by Camille Irons Coakley and Lanre Idewu.
Holla II screen times: Friday, Feb. 8@7pm; Friday, Feb. 15@4pm; and Monday, Feb. 18@9:55pm. Media are invited to attend the February 8 red carpet premiere. For interviews with the director and cast, contact info@platinumstarpr.com or call 213-276-7827.
“The film competition is the most important component of the festival,” said Ayuko Babu, founder and executive director of PAFF.” “The competition really sparks the creativity of young filmmakers and raises the bar in the storytelling on film.” The festival awards films in for Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Feature, and Best First Feature Film, as well as audience favorite at the close of the festival. For a complete listing of films or for ticket purchase, go to www.paff.org or call (310) 337-4737.
HOLLA II” is an urban horror/comedy sequel to the 2007 release of “HOLLA.” The story continues shortly after Monica’s fiancé and friends were murdered by Veronica, her mentally ill twin sister. Monica starts a new life with a new face, new career, new friends and new name as Monique, and moves to Florida with her ex-fiancé’s mother Marion. Six years later, Monique is ready to get married again to unsuspecting Robbie, her reggae/rock band mate. Family and friends convene at a South Florida plantation house, with a haunting legacy, for the wedding, but the happy weekend soon turns into a nightmare as members of her wedding party begin turning up dead. Is history repeating itself or is it something even more sinister this time around?
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