This is the first film of writer and director Jan Manon shot on a student budget without any sound except for three lines.
The entire film was shot in 18 hours.
Jan did not want to take another job so she applied to NYU one month before the program, turning in a feature-length screenplay, and got accepted. "Ava" is based on that screenplay.
Originally, another actress was intended for the main role. However, Jana Kovalcikova came recommended through Daniel Cech, the cello player, and when she auditioned, she blew everything away without saying a word.
The screenplay for AVA was influenced by stories Jan heard in Copenhagen when she was 15 from family friends during summer vacation.