Ayvianna Snow

Ayvianna Snow is a multi-talented actress who recently starred in horror film Barun Rai And The House on The Cliff, she also landed a leading role in the award-winning 'Black Lake' and starred in 'White Colour Black', which was nominated for a BIFA (British Independent Film Award), in 2016 and was released in cinemas in 2020. Snow will also be appearing in hotly anticipated film releases in 2022…

What made you fall in love with acting, and why do you think you've been drawn towards the horror genre?

I was a quiet, introverted child, and I used to hang out at the local theatre as it gave me some form of solace. I still think there's something magical about theatre. So, I applied for drama school. I am drawn to the horror genre as it is such a versatile genre; there's no limit to what you can do within it! Horror works equally well as a period piece, a tongue-in-cheek comedy, a sci-fi. I think the best horrors are about something more than just jump scares and gory slasher scenes; the best ones use horror to explore something deeper. 'Hollow' is a horror film, but it's also about an older woman coming to terms with the loss of her husband and the impact of her oncoming dementia on her sense of self and her family around her. 'Black Lake' uses the horror genre to explore the systemic rape of women in Pakistan.

Who or what inspires you?

I continue to be inspired by the bravery of all the women who came forward during the MeToo movement and by the hard work of my colleagues at Equity, who campaign tirelessly to make life fairer for actors.

You shot a film, The Lockdown Hauntings, during lockdown. Can you tell us briefly about some of the challenges and benefits of working like this?

There were huge practical difficulties; we weren't allowed to have a crew so Howard Ford had to do every job himself; camera, sound recording, directing etc. He was a one-person film crew! And things were complicated further by the fact we had to stay two feet apart at all times! To get round the travel restrictions, Howard filmed actors in their own homes. So, none of the actors met each other. There were times I had to imagine conversations with other actors who weren't physically present, which was challenging. But it certainly forced us to be very resourceful and creative, as we had to make it work without access to lots of locations, props, crew etc.

Can you tell us a bit more about some of the campaigning you do? I know you are working towards improving conditions for actors and also towards equal gender representation?

I developed the Equity Low Budget Film Agreement, which aims to make Equity more accessible to indie filmmakers. Indie filmmakers have previously been hampered by having to pay actors the same rates as big studio productions. My new contract allows filmmakers to pay actors in line with their lower budgets and still have access to the same guidance about working conditions, hours, rehearsal time, insurance, audition etiquette etc. I also support the ERA 50:50 campaign, which aims to have 50/50 gender representation of men and women both on screen and in behind-the-scenes roles. We are 50% of the population, that should be reflected on screen.

We look forward to what you have coming up in 2022. Can you share any details of forthcoming projects?

'L.O.L.A.' is coming out next year; a fast-paced sci-fi about two sisters that discover a time machine. I am also excited about period drama 'The Final 45', where I play a French Resistance leader during the Second World War.

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