Imani Lewis and Laya DeLeon Hayes Star in Heartfelt Queer Coming-of-Age Film ‘Pure’ Directed by Natalie Jasmine Harris
Imani Lewis and Laya DeLeon Hayes Set to Star in Film ‘Pure’
Los Angeles, CA – Actress Imani Lewis, known for her role in First Kill, and Laya DeLeon Hayes, recognized for her work in The Equalizer, are slated to star in Pure, the debut feature film from writer-director Natalie Jasmine Harris.
Built upon Harris’ short film of the same name, which was acquired by HBO Max following its festival circuit, Pure explores the seldom-seen realm of Black cotillion culture in suburban Maryland. The narrative follows Celeste, portrayed by Lewis, a 17-year-old slam poetry talent uprooted from her Bay Area home and thrust into the prestigious cotillion season of Maryland’s elite Black suburbs. As she prepares to make her debut into high society, Celeste must navigate her emerging queer identity and define her own coming-out story.
Yoko Kohmoto joins as co-writer and producer, while Avril Speaks and Britney Ngaw will serve as executive producers. The project has garnered backing from several esteemed development labs and markets, including Film Independent Fast Track, The Gotham Week Project Market, Outfest Screenwriting Lab, and the InsideOut LGBTQ+ Financing Forum. It also received selection for the Women In Film x Sundance Institute Financing Intensive and was awarded the SFFILM Rainin Screenwriting Grant. Additional support comes from the Film Independent Amplifier Fellowship and participation in the New Orleans Film Festival Southern Producers Lab.
Imani Lewis, a versatile talent also known as a Grammy-winning songwriter, gained recognition through the Netflix series First Kill and co-writing the hit single "Water" by Tyla. Her acting credentials include roles in films such as Eighth Grade, Ricky, Farewell Amor, and Premature, alongside various television projects including Hightown, Star, The Get Down, and Wu-Tang: An American Saga. She is represented by Luber Roklin Entertainment, GOF Talent Management, Innovative Artists, and Granderson Des Rochers.
Laya DeLeon Hayes recently starred alongside Queen Latifah in The Equalizer and is celebrated for voicing the titular character in the animated series Doc McStuffins, a role that earned her a nomination for an NAACP Image Award. Notably, she was only nine years old when she booked this groundbreaking role as the first Black animated character on Disney Junior. Hayes is represented by LDH Talent and Eric Suddleson of Felker Toczek Suddleson.
Natalie Jasmine Harris, a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, recently premiered her short film Grace at the Sundance Film Festival. It has since been showcased at multiple festivals, including the Chicago International Film Festival and the Palm Springs ShortFest. Executive produced by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Grace is currently streaming on The Criterion Channel.
