Interview - Ava Maria Safai (Director of Foreigner (2025))

An emerging force in the scene with multiple high-end titles and credits to her name, Ava Maria Safai has started to craft a strong impression on the heels of her work in multiple fields within the industry. Now, in honor of the screening of her film "Foreigner" at the 2025 edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival, I talk with her about her early interest in filmmaking, the behind-the-scenes of the film, and her upcoming plans.

Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?

Ava Maria Safai: Thank you so much for having me! Honestly, I think my love for horror started with my mom. She used to watch whatever was on late-night cable, and a lot of that happened to be horror. That’s how I first stumbled onto Final Destination, Saw, Carrie, The Exorcist, and so on – all films that made a big impression on me and definitely shaped how I approach horror today.

As I got older, I started walking down to the local Rogers video store to find movies on my own. I’d often come across films like Coraline or Requiem for a Dream that weren’t necessarily horror by definition, but still left me feeling deeply disturbed in some way. So it hit me pretty early that the horror genre doesn’t have a monopoly on fear, and I’ve kept that in mind as I’ve started leaning into more cross-genre storytelling.

Me: When did you first discover a passion for filmmaking? Were you always interested in the creative arts growing up?

AMS: I grew up in a super musical family and went to a very artsy high school, so creativity was basically part of everyday life. I was always writing scripts, performing on stage, making home movies, and so on, and so on. My parents got me a digicam and a copy of Sony Vegas when I was eleven, and that was kind of it: like, give me Barbies for actors and the Twilight soundtrack, and I’d give you a full-blown movie by tomorrow.

Honestly, I fell in love with the arts because the people around me made it happen. I had parents and teachers who told me to keep going, even when I didn’t have all my lines memorized or was too lazy to practice the violin that week. I had friends (and later on, vendors) who were willing to donate their time and resources to random music videos and no-budget shoots. That kind of support makes a genuine difference, so I’m very lucky to have had people in my life who saw something in me and helped me get here.

Me: Having worked on various aspects of film production, do you have any particular preference for working on any?

AMS: Directing feels like home to me. It’s where I get to synthesize everything I love about filmmaking into one cohesive thing, and bring out the best in already extremely talented people (a.k.a. my friends). I’m always amazed by how a camera move or a piece of music can completely shift the mood, or how a small brooch or poster on the wall can tell you something about the characters in the story. I like being the one who gets to make those final, gut-instinct calls about what feels “best.”

While it can be scary, I’ve also learned to really appreciate when my team challenges my instincts. If I can’t defend the instinct, I know I haven’t done enough work. That’s how I grow, and how the movies get better!

Me: With plenty of short films early in your career, what tools and skills did you acquire working on those that transferred to feature-film projects?

AMS: Shorts are awesome because they teach you so much about resource management. With no time and barely any budget, you figure out pretty quickly which shots are essential, what expensive set pieces to cut, and conversely, which moments need space to breathe. I’ve done enough shorts at this point that I now have a good sense of how much time each shot will “cost,” and I work really closely with my amazing ADs and producers to protect those key story beats in the schedule. Because I’ve edited all my own shorts as well, I really try to shoot for the edit! One thing I want to really emphasize is that the challenges you face on shorts don’t vanish when the feature budgets kick in – they just come back wearing fancier costumes and asking for a dolly track. :)

Me: That brings us to your latest film, "Foreigner." What can you tell us about the project?

AMS: Foreigner was kind of a happy accident! I had just finished my short ZIP for Crazy8s when I saw Telefilm’s open call for Talent to Watch. I wrote the script two nights before the deadline, fully convinced no one would even read it, and lo and behold, here we are, conducting this interview. The film follows an Iranian teen named Yasamin who moves to Canada and befriends a trio of impossibly cool local girls. They convince her to dye her hair blonde, and in doing so, Yasamin accidentally becomes a demon (as one does). At its core, it’s really a story about grief, identity, and the lengths people go to feel as though they belong.

Me: Where did the inspiration for the film come from? Were there any unique stories about its conception?

AMS: Yes, elaborating on the previous question, Foreigner was a direct response to a grant prompt. Telefilm had requested “Canadian content” – in other words, films about Canadian culture, made by Canadians. This kind of stumped me a bit as I feel Canada is essentially a mosaic of different cultures living on land that was never ceded in the first place, and so it’s hard to really whittle “being Canadian” down to just one thing. I honestly had no answer to “what does it mean to be Canadian,” so I spent a lot of this movie just sitting with the question instead.

Also, a lot of the Canadian films I’d seen growing up focused on the more serious, often painful sides of the immigrant or first-gen experience. And while those stories are important, it can feel a bit heavy when that’s the only way you and your family show up on screen. I really wanted my main character to get to wear pink and be a little dramatic and silly, but still have that depth to her.

So I started writing the script like a diary! I was born here, but like a lot of first-gen kids, I grew up speaking one language at home and another one at school – living in two totally different worlds depending on where I was standing. I pulled from a bunch of my 2000s-era memories and bizarre questions people would ask me (“No, where are you REALLY from?”) and just threw it all into this script!

Me: Is there anything from your childhood that helped to flesh out the characterizations?

AMS: So much! As a kid, I was deeply obsessed with Hannah Montana, which meant I absolutely owned a questionable-quality blonde wig. For many years, I would throw it on, blast Circus, and record full-on performances with my laptop webcam. No audience, just vibes, like TikTok before there was TikTok. These videos will hopefully never see the light of day, but yeah, the energy of them very much found its way into the film. The characters in general were like hyper-stylized versions of real people I have encountered in my life, including (at times) myself.

Me: With a cast of experienced and talented indie actors, how'd you settle on the cast getting involved in the film? What characteristics did you look for with each performer that they brought to the table that helped bring the production to life?

AMS: We had the incredible Maria Georgescu as our casting director, and right away, we were flooded with submissions: union, non-union, American, Iranian, you name it. But in the end, it was mostly emerging or first-time Canadian actors (many non-union!) who really stood out to us, particularly for our lead roles, which was very exciting as I like to give new faces a chance! The casting process took about three months to get right because we have an ensemble cast. We did self-tapes first, then Zooms, and in-person chemistry reads. Some casts came together fast, others took a while. Rose Dehgan, our lead, was actually one of the very last Yasamins to read! Our trio of mean girls was the first group of the day to read together, and they all happened to have matching purple tops. I watched every tape numerous times with my department heads, my producers, my family, my partner Luis, and even my dog probably caught a few.

What ultimately set those casts apart was their grip on tone. The film walks that horror-comedy tightrope, and when someone understood that energy in the script, that always stuck out to me. As an actor myself (if any of the talent we saw are reading), I just want to mention I’m so thankful to all the actors who submitted or read for us, as I know these auditions take a lot of time and energy! Every tape was very memorable and fun to watch. Major shoutout to our background talent, too; the film wouldn’t be what it is without them. :)

Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?

AMS: Overall, a lot of fun and a tremendous learning experience for me and my friends (which is what a Talent to Watch should be). I had never shot that many hours for that many days before, so it was a whole new experience for me. You really do come out of it so much stronger.

Like any shoot, some days were absolutely amazing, and days were much more difficult. I want to be very candid about that. I think most of us caught some kind of cold early on, which did not help! But honestly, treating your team well goes such a long way. We had good food, inside jokes, lots of laughs, and real bonds forming on set. I think some people have left the set in happy new relationships, so I’m glad to have been a small part of the match-making process!

Bottom line is, if your cast and crew feel supported and seen, you can get through anything together. I’m very grateful that a lot of the team was able to see themselves in this story and really get behind it. I’m excited to make more memories with them now at the screenings and celebrate their hard work!

Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?

AMS: So many, but I will highlight two.

1. Yasamin’s house is one of the most stunning film locations I’ve ever shot in, but it was also most definitely haunted. We had ghosts on our walkie-talkies. There would be random music playing through them as soon as it got dark, and some kind of creepy voice whispering to the team on the comms. I’m not sure if it was my members of my team members just clowning around, but it was weird!!!!

2. The climax of the movie was shot on the rainiest day of my life. I am not joking, I have never seen that much rain, ever. We had water up to our ankles – there was no drainage on the street, and so my director’s tent basically turned into a small pool. Ironically, we had rented a rain tower for that exact scene... and didn’t end up needing it at all.

The most interesting part is, we didn’t finish filming the full scene that night because it was so incredibly rainy, so the following week, we went back to shoot the rest. It was a beautiful, sunny day – until the exact moment we stepped outside to roll the camera for the pickups. Cue instant downpour. Truly a gift from the film gods, my script supervisor was thrilled!

My cast and crew were absolute heroes, and for the sake of the story, they really pushed through these rainy nights and made the movie happen. Will owe them big time for a long time, and I know how much work and commitment went into surviving those nights! Thanks team!

Me: What are you most looking forward to with its upcoming release?

AMS: I’m most excited to share the film with the world. Films can be such a private thing for so long – I spent months isolated in the edit suite staring at the same frames a hundred times, so getting to finally let go and have people actually see it feels like a miracle. I love doing interviews like this and getting to talk about all the behind-the-scenes chaos and magic that went into making it real. I’m also really excited to celebrate the team. So many people poured their hearts into this movie, often in roles that don’t get enough credit or recognition. Getting to champion them, pay it forward, and work with our awesome publicity and distribution team to get more eyes on the film has been really fun so far!

Me: What do you do to keep your creative energy flowing?

AMS: For me, staying creatively energized means actually having a life outside of film (a very difficult thing for me, by the way). I think it’s so important to live a little – to travel, go on walks, sit in coffee shops and people-watch, meet new faces, and just let myself exist outside of a production schedule. That’s where the best ideas come from. Real experiences, real conversations, real emotions. I think it’s important to encounter things worth writing about. But I do keep my phone handy so that if I see or hear something cool at the local park, I can write a scene about it later! :)

Me: Lastly, what else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers? Thank you again for your time!

AMS: Thanks so much again for having me, this has been super fun! I’m finishing up a few projects in post right now and doing a lot of writing – some film, some TV, some music. One of the scripts I’m working on feels like a bit of a spiritual cousin to Foreigner, but from a very different lens, and I’m very excited about it! I hope we can talk about it all more when they’re ready.

This review is part of our coverage of the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival. Click the banner below to check out our reviews and interviews from the festival: