FOREIGNER

Foreigner tells the story of Yasamin Karimi, a Persian teen desperate to fit in at her new high school in 2004. When she dyes her hair blonde to blend in, she unknowingly unleashes a demon tied to the parts of herself she’s trying to erase.

Blending horror with heart, Foreigner explores the terrifying cost of assimilation and the haunting power of identity denied.

  • Ava Maria Safai
    Director
    ZIP (Short Film)
  • Ava Maria Safai
    Writer
    ZIP (Short Film)
  • Nic Altobelli
    Producer
  • Ava Maria Safai
    Producer
  • Nicco Graham
    Producer
  • Lesha Jay Vescio
    Producer
  • Nancy Q
    Producer
  • Caylee Watrin
    Producer
  • Rose Dehgan
    Key Cast
    "Yasamin Karimi"
  • Chloë Macleod
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 7, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    400,000 CAD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    ARRI Alexa
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ava Maria Safai

Ava Maria Safai, a Canadian-Iranian artist from Vancouver, Canada, is a Dean's List graduate from UBC's BFA in Acting program and currently serves as the artistic director of The Harlequin Theatre Society.

Her directorial debut, "ZIP," created waves as the first short film in the 24-year history of the Crazy8s Film Festival to receive a standing ovation. "ZIP" has garnered acclaim as an Official Selection at multiple Academy Award-qualifying festivals, including Uppsala, CINEQUEST, Athens International Film & Video Festival, and the Calgary International Film Festival. Notably, it recently won Best Short at the Chilliwack Independent Film Festival, received an Honourable Mention for Best Short at the Whistler Film Festival, and earned the prestigious Ryan Nicholson Special FX Makeup Award at Blood in the Snow in Toronto.

Ava Maria's feature debut "FOREIGNER" was kickstarted by Telefilm's Talent to Watch program and funded by over five different funding bodies. She directed, wrote, produced, and edited the project. In the same year as making this film, Ava Maria also voiced a supporting character in an upcoming video game, starred in a documentary reenactment, and shadowed directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein on the set of Final Destination 6.

Beyond her directorial pursuits, Ava Maria is an accomplished actor, musician, writer, and editor, known for infusing her diverse talents into every project. Explore more about her work at www.avamariasafai.com.

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Director Statement

What does it really mean to be part of a cultural legacy? Especially when you’ve spent your life shape-shifting, code-switching, straightening your hair and perfecting your inner Canadian just to fit in?

That question haunted me -- and the day before my first feature film grant deadline was due, the answer poured out of me as a script. I wrote the first draft of FOREIGNER in one day. No outline, no fancy writing retreat. Just me, my laptop, a Coke Zero, and a decade’s worth of feelings I didn’t know I’d been carrying. It felt like writing in my diary -- messy, honest, a little cringe, a little cathartic. And very, very personal.

The fact that this movie exists at all still feels like a miracle. We made it fast. Like, really fast. With barely any money, a tiny crew of friends, and a whole lot of late nights, laughter, and chaos. Most of us were under 30, many of us were underrepresented, and we were all trying to make something that felt like us.

Foreigner is a horror-tinged coming-of-age story set in the early 2000s, about a Persian teen who bleaches her hair to fit in -- and accidentally unleashes a demon. It’s campy, creepy, emotional, and full of bubblegum mini-skirts and existential dread. The title is a little joke, a little truth: she’s a foreigner in her school, in her body, and eventually, in her own mind.

I didn’t want to make another immigrant trauma story. I wanted to make something fun and freaky, with characters I could dress up as for Hallowe'en. A film where girls like me could see ourselves -- not just surviving, but starring. And maybe even slaying (literally).

Some housekeeping notes before you start your viewing session: this version is only going to get better, as we're still refining our sound mix, design, music and VFX. I would call it more of a psychological horror than a straight-up horror. And I hope you don't feel afraid to laugh sometimes!

Thanks for watching, eh? I hope you love the movie as much as I have making it.