Ria Pavia

Ria Pavia is a celebrated director whose initial foray into filmmaking, "Second Team," garnered over a dozen accolades during its festival run from 2020 to 2021. In addition to her directorial ventures, Pavia serves as a dialogue and acting coach, providing personalized training to numerous actors for set and self-tape auditions. Her theatrical journey encompasses directing more than 20 plays and musicals, collaborating with renowned talents such as Jennifer Aniston, Noah Wyle, and Mark Ruffalo.

Before stepping into the world of directing, Pavia honed her writing skills as a "punch up" writer for feature films and contributed as a staff writer for the series "Ask Harriet," featuring Ed Asner, and "Pauly," starring Pauly Shore. She also gained valuable experience as a casting associate for notable films like "Twister," "Dead Presidents," and "Flirting with Disaster." Starting her career as a commercial actor, Pavia gained prominence in the 1980s with a standout gymnastics performance in a tampon advertisement. This led to recurring roles on popular television series such as "Who's the Boss," "The Hughleys," and the soap opera "Santa Barbara" before she transitioned to behind-the-camera roles.

Pavia's artistic journey began as a Theatre Major at Interlochen Arts Academy, followed by studies under Sanford Meisner in the West Indies, and culminating in her education at UCLA, where she focused on theatre, television, and film. She resides in Los Angeles and balances her professional life with motherhood to three children: Adrianna (20) and twins Dominic and Rocco (17).