Ray Savaya is an Iraqi-Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto. He arrived in Canada as an infant when his parents escaped Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991 as refugees.
Prior to directing, Ray's work as a film editor has been accepted into countless film festivals including Cannes, TIFF, VIFF and LA Shorts Fest. Ray has worked as an assistant editor on numerous films and TV shows including ORPHAN BLACK and the Steven Soderbergh produced TV series THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE with auteurs Amy Seimetz and Lodge Kerrigan.
Ray’s comedic directorial debut won a short film competition for JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! and Ray was also selected as a “couch gag” guest writer for the twenty-fourth season finale of THE SIMPSONS. Ray’s web series, RUNAWAYS, was featured in Fan Expo Canada and reached over one million views online.
Ray's dramatic directorial debut, NEWBORN, was inspired by the personal struggle of Middle Eastern identity in Western culture. NEWBORN is recognized by over twenty film festivals including the Academy Awards® accredited Bermuda International Film Festival and was awarded $40,000 as the National Grand Prize Winner of CBC’s Short Film Face Off.
Recently, Ray edited THE LAKE, an Amazon Original TV series for Prime Video starring Jordan Gavaris, Julia Stiles, Madison Shamoun and Lauren Holly. Ray’s upcoming directorial project, FRIENDS LIKE US, is sponsored by Telefilm Canada with William F. White International Inc. and is currently in post-production.