EXCLUSIVE: Raven Banner has picked up world sales and distribution rights to the Fantasia Film Festival title Foreigner by filmmaker Ava Maria Safai.
The film was written, edited, and directed by Safai. The film’s official synopsis reads: Fantasia is set in the age of low-rise jeans and flip phones, where a Persian teen, Yasamin (Rose Dehgan), immigrates to a new country with her family. Trying desperately to fit in with her new clique, she dyes her hair blonde — and invites a sinister force into her life.
“Ava Maria Safai is a bold new voice in horror, who brings a fearless new perspective to the screen,” Raven Banner’s Managing Partner, Michael Paszt, said in a statement. “Not only has she announced herself as a talent to watch in Canada, but internationally as well. We’re proud to be working with Ava and her team.”
Safai is a Canadian-Iranian multidisciplinary artist based in Vancouver. In a statement, she said: “Media shapes how we see ourselves, and when you grow up never seeing anyone like you on screen, you start to shrink to fit the frame. I made Foreigner to help break that cycle and create space for people who’ve been erased, so they can finally see themselves at the center.”
The film stars Rose Dehgan and Chloë MacLeod and features Maryam Sadeghi, Ashkan Nejati, Talisa Mae Stewart, and Victoria Wardell. The film is produced by The Harlequin Theatre Society, Saffron Blonde Productions Ltd., and Naltobel Productions, with executive producer Nic Altobelli, producers Safai and Nicco Graham, and co-producer Lesha Jay Vescio.
The deal for Foreigner was negotiated between the film’s executive producers, Nic Altobelli and Ava Maria Safai, and Raven Banner’s General Manager, Michael Da Silva, and Managing Partner, Michael Paszt.
Foreigner was shot in Vancouver, BC, and features dialogue in both English and Farsi. You can check out the film’s trailer above.
