Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Letizia Zocco. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Letizia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is Unfairy Tale, my latest short film, which I wrote, directed, produced, and edited. It’s a dark fairy tale told through the eyes of a young girl, Lucy, who is struggling with her parents’ separation. She finds refuge in the illusion of a perfect family next door, only to discover that perfection often hides disturbing truths. It’s a story about the loss of innocence, and it holds a deep personal connection for me.
The idea was born from my fascination with stories that mix horror and childhood wonder, those unsettling tales that portray reality through a child’s eyes, with a magical yet melancholic atmosphere. Growing up, I was always drawn to the bittersweet moment when we begin to realize that the world isn’t as safe or perfect as we once believed. I wanted to explore that emotional turning point through an aesthetic that feels both nostalgic and haunting.
Creating Unfairy Tale was incredibly challenging, especially on a student budget in a city like Los Angeles. I couldn’t afford to pay my crew, and it was hard to convince people to believe in a project that existed only in my mind. Earning their trust, building a strong team, and bringing my vision to life against all odds taught me resilience, leadership, and the value of persistence. Every step, writing, casting, location scouting, sound design, even moments of self-doubt, was a reminder of why I love filmmaking.
Letizia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m Letizia Zocco, a 24-year-old Italian filmmaker with a passion for telling emotionally honest and visually striking stories. My journey into filmmaking began in a very personal way: as a child, I was enchanted by the bedtime stories my grandmother would read to me, dark fairy tales filled with both beauty and fear. That emotional duality stuck with me, and I’ve been chasing it ever since in my own creative work.
I started studying art and design in high school, where I developed a deep appreciation for visual storytelling. Later, during my Bachelor’s in Communication, Media & Advertising at IULM in Milan, I discovered cinema as the perfect blend of all the art forms I loved. I pursued that discovery further by enrolling in a double Master’s program, one in Cinema, Television & New Media in Italy and the other in Film & Media at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. This combination gave me both a strong academic foundation and hands-on experience working on sets, directing actors, and building entire visual worlds from scratch.
I wear many hats in my creative process, I write, direct, produce, design sets, and edit. My work is heavily focused on creating narratives that are both imaginative and emotionally grounded, often exploring themes like loss of innocence, nostalgia, identity, and transformation. I’m drawn to stories that sit in the space between childhood wonder and adult reality, where magic and melancholy coexist. I like to think of my films as visual poems: haunting, tender, and a little surreal.
What sets my work apart is my sensitivity and strong visual aesthetic. I bring a painter’s eye to cinematography, combining composition, color, and symbolism to create emotional resonance. My goal is always to evoke a feeling first, whether it’s discomfort, longing, fear, or empathy, before the audience even fully understands what’s happening.
I’m most proud of my short film Unfairy Tale, which I directed and produced in Los Angeles under very tight financial constraints. It was my first major test as a filmmaker—assembling a team, communicating a vision, solving real production challenges, and it taught me how far passion and perseverance can go when you’re building something from the ground up.
For potential collaborators, clients, or supporters, I’d want them to know that I approach every project with total commitment and care. Whether I’m crafting a short film, working on a visual concept, or helping bring someone else’s vision to life, I am detail-oriented, emotionally driven, and always looking to push creative boundaries. My work is for those who are curious, nostalgic, and unafraid to feel.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, being an artist is not a choice, it’s a necessity. I have an intrinsic need to express my ideas and transform them into something tangible. The most rewarding part is the act of creation itself: the ability to build an entire world from nothing and shape it through my own lens. I find deep satisfaction in giving meaning to the smallest details, those that might otherwise go unnoticed, and using them to convey emotion or perspective.
What moves me is the opportunity to play with color, light, shapes, and sound, blending them all into a coherent visual and emotional language. Framing a story in the way I believe it deserves to be seen is incredibly fulfilling. It’s my way of communicating with the world, not through explanation, but through sensation. Every frame I create is a reflection of how I feel and how I hope others might feel too.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Right now, I’m still trying to find my place in the film industry. I haven’t had the chance to work professionally in cinema yet, mostly because I don’t have the right contacts. But my goal is very clear: I want to tell stories that reach people.
Even if the path is uncertain, I keep going because it’s what I truly love and what I feel I’m best at. Storytelling through film is the only thing that feels truly natural to me. My hope is to grow, keep learning, and eventually have the opportunity to work in an environment where I can bring my ideas to life and be part of something meaningful.
It’s a dream I’m committed to, and I’m doing everything I can to move toward it, step by step.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @occozaizitel
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/letizia-zocco-099503128/
Image Credits
Manon Gaillard
Weijie Liu
Giorgina Nifosi
Yiyang jiao