At just the start of what promises to be an extraordinary career, Toronto-based film director and fashion creative Emma Pascu is already carving a unique space for herself in the international arts scene. A dynamic storyteller with a bold visual style, Emma merges her passion for fashion with a deep love of cinema, creating work that is both emotionally resonant and aesthetically striking.
Currently completing her final year at Toronto Metropolitan University’s film program. With a strong commitment to female-driven stories, a collaborative approach on set, and a growing roster of ambitious projects including her debut feature film Emma Pascu represents a new generation of visionary Canadian filmmakers.
In this exclusive interview with TorontoPages, Emma shares her journey, creative process, fashion philosophy, and the personal values that keep her grounded. Get to know the vibrant voice behind Emma’s Vision, and what’s next for this inspiring talent on the rise.
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi! My name is Emma Pascu, and I am a film director and fashion lover.
What did your education path look like—did you study film formally, or was it more hands-on and self-directed?
In September, I will enter my last year in the fantastic film program at Toronto Metropolitan University. However, I began studying and learning my craft many years before pursuing it within a more academic environment. I learned the most through hands-on experience and just going out there and creating. At the end of the day, it is experience and continuously working on your craft that will always teach you the most and fuel your passion even more.
What first drew you to filmmaking and visual storytelling, and how did that become your career?
I was always strangely drawn to filmmaking. Ever since I was old enough to stand, I was getting my hands on anything that could capture an image. It started with recording endless amounts of short films and little music videos until the storage was full on every device in the house. When I discovered that people could actually make a career out of film, I decided that would be me too… and I have never looked back since!
How did you develop your signature directing style over time?
I believe that every filmmaker has a different style based on their own interests within both film and outside of it. Developing my signature style happened over time and consisted of working on projects that I felt passionate about, based on different interests and visuals I felt drawn to. Then I tried finding ways to combine different passions I had outside of film, such as fashion, within the film context. I place great value on only working on projects that I feel deeply drawn to on an intuitive level, which always helps shape my style more deeply with each project I work on.
Can you walk us through your creative process when starting a new film project, from initial idea to final cut?
Sometimes it will be a personal passion project, or sometimes I am approached to work on a project that then turns into my passion project too. Either way, it starts with that initial ideation stage—the stage where you just let yourself dream about what your project can become. The feeling of talking about a new idea that the whole team is excited about cannot be put into words. This is what fuels me through all stages of production, which are all enjoyable in different ways.
During pre-production, I’m having meetings with each department and ensuring everyone is working on the vision in different ways: shot lists with the cinematographer, schedules with the assistant director, etc. It really does take a village to make a film, and I am always grateful for each person I work with.
All that being said, I place great value on having a solid team—people with whom I can share a creative vision and also have great working chemistry. That’s so important, because there will always be harder days when people on the team need to lean on one another for support.
After the pre-production work, it comes time for execution during the production stage. As the director, you really do set the tone for the set, and I like to show up to work and uplift and encourage as much as I can (most likely with a colourful outfit too). I am so passionate that I am somehow always energized, even in the earliest or latest hours of the day.
During the post-production stage, I love to be as involved as possible with the editing aspect while also allowing the editor space to share and try their own ideas as well. Film is such a collaborative medium, and I love to hear my team’s ideas that may potentially enhance the project.
After post-production is complete, we have a final film! Sometimes there will be a screening, and other times a celebration, because the successful completion of a project is always the best part that makes everything worth it. This is when I recall the ideation stage and enjoy reflecting on how the final product turned out.
Could you share a particularly challenging moment from a project and what you learned from it?
Last year I was sent to Switzerland by an up-and-coming production company to direct and shoot a documentary at the World Highline Championships with superstar highliner Taylor St. Germain. That trip taught me a new kind of resilience in the best kind of way.
The shoot was around five days in length, and during that time I wore so many different hats, even though I had some help while I was there. When you’re focused on camera, sound, and direction at the same time, you have to be extremely organized so you don’t miss anything important. Focusing on all these elements was challenging at times but taught me so much.
After each shoot day, I would go back and review all of my footage, and based on what I had from that day, I would strategize with Taylor about what we still needed and wanted to get, as well as go over what the plan for the next day was. Of course, myself and the rest of the team back home had planned as much as we could before the trip, which helped immensely.
While documentary is not my main niche as a filmmaker, I would recommend that any filmmaker try their hand at it at least once. I truly believe that it pushes you in different ways that narrative fiction filmmaking doesn’t. When it comes to documentary, certain outcomes are unknown, so while you have a plan of what your story is and what you want to focus on, you don’t truly find out what the full narrative is until you’ve finished the shoot and you’re writing the final story in the editing room.
How would you describe your personal style, and how does fashion influence your work as a filmmaker?
In general, I strive to tell authentic female-driven stories. Most of the time I work within the drama genre, sometimes combining different elements from other genres. I’ve always said fashion is my second love (after film). I incorporate it within my daily life, curating and creating my own fun outfits, and I actually have a fashion brand in the works as well.
That being said, fashion does influence my work a lot, no matter what the project is. My personal style is to fuse fashion and film together to tell powerful stories that are visually stylized, fashionable, and narratively charged. The film may not always be directly fashion-related, but I do believe the fashion influence remains apparent. In a more direct context, I love working with designers and creating fashion films that have narratives attached to them. I truly am grateful for the ways in which fashion has influenced my life and work because I feel like it’s given me such a base for aesthetics.
How do you approach blending fashion and narrative in your films?
Within the most directly fashion-related projects such as fashion films, I like to incorporate fashion in ways that deviate from commercial means and instead focus on how to blend the story with the fashion seamlessly. Within my other projects that are not directly fashion films, this may be apparent just in the ways characters are dressed, aspects of the time period, certain themes, or even just the look of the film could have a certain fashionable stylistic element.
Is there a particular fashion era or aesthetic that feels like it embodies your artistic identity?
I have always struggled to figure out a name or a specific aesthetic that fits my identity as an artist. Even with the ways that I dress, it always varies by the day. Some days it’s more street style, others it’s more chic or fancy, and some days I even go towards a grungier look. I feel like this translates into my work as well. I love to play with different styles and aesthetics while remaining cohesive. That is how I am able to do so many different types of filmmaking without boxing myself into one label—yet it always feels authentic to myself.
How do the different cities you work in—like Toronto, New York, and others—influence the stories you tell?
Each city has such an energy to it, and a different culture too! This will always influence a story no matter what, which is why location choice is so important. When I am scouting a potential location, I always think of the influence it’s going to have on the story. I ask myself why I am looking to shoot in this place specifically. Why do I feel drawn to it? What does it add to the story?
The same goes for shooting abroad and in different cities. There is always a clear reason behind why I am shooting in a specific place and the impact I want it to have on the narrative.
What has been your favorite city to film in so far, and why?
I have had the privilege to film in many different cities, and each one is so unique! They all hold a special place in my heart as each project does. However, New York City is definitely my favourite city in the world. I’ve had such a fascination with it since I was a child, which led me to pursue different opportunities to be able to create there. I love the expansive network of creatives and resources it has to offer.
Is there a dream location or city you hope to shoot in one day?
I would love to shoot anywhere in Asia and in more places around Europe! While there isn’t one specific place I am dreaming of shooting in, I would truly just love to continue down this path and shoot in as many different places as I can.
What draws you to working with analog formats like 16mm film, and how does that choice affect your storytelling?
I have directed a couple of films that were shot with 16mm Bolex film cameras, which are decades old and can be very finicky… so very easy to mess up footage! This was a new type of challenge that required more diligence, research, and planning than shooting with a digital format. In the end, it was so worth it!
In my opinion, working with analog formats, especially the super old ones, is truly magical. These formats create such a sense of nostalgia and draw you to the image in ways that digital mediums cannot. It creates a sense of familiarity even before you get to know what the story is. Overall, I adore the film aesthetic and would love to work with it more wherever it makes sense.
Can you tell us about a recent fashion film you’ve created and the inspiration behind it?
No matter the project, when it comes to a fashion film I will usually speak to the designer or label to see if they have any existing concepts in their head that they want to explore. If not, we will always brainstorm together and find the right story for the pieces in the collection, as well as their own brand. It’s definitely a collaborative process, and inspiration always derives directly from the pieces we are trying to showcase.
That being said, I have worked on quite a few different fashion films recently. AI DO, which I created with NARCES, follows a humanoid bride who is late to her wedding. NARCES approached me with this existing concept idea, which I was then able to help bring to life. Some time ago, I also worked with House of Hendo to document the process of creating one of their pieces through intimate black and white shots of their studio and work, which led to the final piece being revealed in colour. Then, just for fun, a few weeks ago I released a short fashion vignette where a model throws her own fashion show inside a laundromat.
What do you enjoy most about working with fashion labels or designers in a film context?
I love working with designers in a film context because it gives them a chance to showcase their work in unique ways—outside of still images, mannequins, runways, and even regular commercials. Film and narrative work allow for their pieces to be the main character and tell a unique story.
Are there any upcoming projects you’re excited to share with us?
Yes! I always have so many exciting projects that I am looking forward to. Right now, I have a few fiction feature films in the works that I am set to direct. The most immediate one is Her Thread, a ninety-minute fashion film and psychological drama. There are other feature films that are all in different stages of development that I am looking forward to as well. These are all projects I am so very passionate about, and I am working with all of my favourite people to bring them to life.
Outside of these bigger projects, I have two short documentaries coming out in the fall: the documentary I directed in Switzerland, La Ligne en Rose, as well as another documentary I directed in Pittsburgh with SLATE, a female-founded and run motorsport racing team. I am also working with fashion designer Storrveldi on an exciting short film throughout the summer, going into fall.
There are so many other exciting projects coming up too, that I am looking forward to sharing on all of my platforms when the time comes, including a new initiative on helping creatives achieve their goals through mindset and affirmations. I am also excited to continue working towards fully releasing my fashion brand, ROYALTÉ, which made its first public debut last year.
Where did you grow up, and were there any childhood experiences that inspired your creative journey?
I grew up in Oakville, Ontario. It’s a beautiful and peaceful town, and I am so grateful to have had a safe and happy childhood thanks to my amazing parents. My parents immigrated from Romania shortly before I was born. Their hard work and resilience are what continue to inspire me on a daily basis. Their support is what keeps me going the most.
My entire childhood inspired my creative journey as an adult. As a child, I had quite the imagination. I always looked for and saw the magic in the everyday and tried to encourage my peers and friends to do the same. I think this translated into my adult life in the ways that I work, where I now tell the stories that were always inside my head, on the screen. I am still always trying to create and spread magic, and that hasn’t changed!
Do you have a favorite quote or mantra that keeps you grounded or motivated during tough creative moments?
I definitely feel like it is important to talk about the tough moments, because we all have them! For me at least, it is the difficult times that push me the hardest and allow me to grow the most.
I am a huge mindset and manifesting advocate. I truly believe in aligning myself with the right mindset and putting in the necessary work to manifest and achieve my goals. To me, thoughts are like outfits. You should always wear the ones you want to feel good in and reflect the most of who you are. I try to live this day to day, which truly makes such a positive impact on my life and gets me through the harder days.
My purpose in this world is to create. So anytime I am going through a more difficult moment, I also ground myself in remembering my purpose, my commitment to it, and that I must keep going. I always let my intuition guide me, because if I pause and listen deeper than the surface-level chatter in my mind, I am able to see things crystal clear. There is an intuitive reason behind every desire and goal, even if it may seem impossible. That reason is because you’re supposed to do it!
I think we all have so much power within ourselves. We just have to recognize it and use it. The first step is believing yourself worthy of anything you put your mind to, and then committing to doing it. There is room for everyone to be successful!
When you’re not directing or curating fashion, what hobbies or interests help you recharge?
Outside of my work, I adore spending time with my family and friends, trying new restaurants and cafes, and travelling of course. Travel really recharges me and fuels my soul. There’s something about being in a new place, meeting new people, and learning about new cultures that really expands the mind and educates in the most unique ways.
Looking to the future, what are your biggest dreams or goals, both personally and professionally?
Looking to the future, I am working towards moving to New York after I graduate to focus on bringing my bigger projects to life along with my awesome team of people. I also aim to continue travelling and creating abroad as well.
I would like to inspire others and speak more about the power of mindset, manifestation, and reaching goals—specifically as a creative person and artist. Every creative has a different path, and it can often be such a mystifying process to figure out the road to success. The truth is, each path is different, unique, and exciting, as much as it can be confusing at times. I would love to support all creatives on my platforms and help each other rise up. If my story can inspire even one person to keep going, I am grateful—and in turn, inspired to keep on going as well!
Your message for us at TorontoPages (TOPS) magazine.
It has been such an honour to be featured in TorontoPages. Thank you again for having me. I also want to thank everyone who has supported me and continues to support me throughout my journey.
