Ava Maria Safai
Biography
Ava Maria Safai, a Canadian-Iranian artist from Vancouver, Canada, is a graduate of UBC’s BFA in Acting program and currently serves as the artistic director of The Harlequin Theatre Society. She is also a Leo award-winning editor, and has produced every project she’s directed. Ava Maria is also an accomplished actor, musician, and writer, known for infusing her diverse talents into every project.
Known For & Full Filmography2 Titles
Movie - 2026, 2h 15m • as Tolou
In Iran, higher education is a crime—for Bahá’ís. The Forbidden University exposes a secret underground network where students and teachers risk prison, raids and exile, for the right to learn. Told through daring first-person accounts and striking animated reenactments, this is the hidden story of a secret beacon of hope born in the shadows.
Movie - 2023, 2h 15m • as Ahriman 2
A young Iranian-Canadian man comes to terms with his sexuality, and contends with the disconnection from his culture, while inadvertently cohabitating with an ancient Persian Spirit of Chaos.