Shalet Monique (Straw), Stephen Barrington (The Crowded Room), and singer-actress V. Bozeman (Empire) are stepping into the world of psychological horror with Leave, the latest feature from Footage Films.
Directed by Chris Stokes, Leave takes inspiration from Freemanville, Florida — a real-life settlement town founded in 1866 by freed enslaved people. The story follows architect Jesse Hughes, who moves his family to the eerie community after landing a new job. But what begins as a chance to repair a fractured marriage quickly unravels when their new home attracts unexpected — and unsettling — visitors.
The cast also includes Newton Mayenge (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), LaVell Thompson Jr. (The Stepmother franchise), and emerging child actress Journee Paul.
The film is produced by Footage Films Studios and will be distributed by Falling Forward Films. A theatrical release is set for Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, January 16.
Stokes, who also serves as founder and chairman of Footage Films, directs from a resume that includes You Got Served, Somebody Help Me, and The Stepmother franchise. Alongside CEO Marques Houston and president Juanita Stokes, he’s pushing to bring Black audiences back to theaters after years of sharp decline.