Priscilla Zanni: Between New York, Los Angeles, and the Surreal Worlds of Independent Cinema
Today, Darwin Reina sits down with Priscilla Zanni, a Barcelona-born, New York and Los Angeles-based director and producer whose work blends dark comedy, surrealism, absurdity, and sharp social commentary.
With a strong background in theater directing, screenwriting, and filmmaking, Priscilla has developed a creative voice that feels bold, playful, uncomfortable, and deeply cinematic. Her award-winning short films Wrong Move and Cast & Brew have traveled through international festivals, connecting with audiences through exaggerated premises that reveal very real human truths.
In this conversation, Darwin speaks with Priscilla about her journey from Barcelona to the United States, her experience studying and working in New York and Los Angeles, her transition from theater to film, and the themes that continue to shape her work as an emerging filmmaker with a unique and fearless voice.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us how you began your journey as a film director?
My name is Priscilla Zanni, and I am a bicoastal director and producer based between New York and Los Angeles. Born in Barcelona, Spain, I moved to the U.S. at 19 on a scholarship to complete my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Directing and Screenwriting, studying at Eòlia University in Barcelona and at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
My journey as a film director officially began while studying Film at the New York Film Academy in both New York and Los Angeles, where I completed my Master’s of Fine Arts in Filmmaking, graduating Magna Cum Laude.
My strong theater background gave me a foundation in storytelling, rhythm, and working closely with actors, (love working with actors!), skills that naturally translated into filmmaking.
I was a child actor and I was always drawn to cinema as a medium because it allows for surrealism, tension, and visual storytelling in a way that felt limitless to me.
Film and theater ultimately became the spaces where all my creative instincts fusion, allowing me complete creative freedom.
You currently live and study in New York City. How has living in the U.S. influenced your creative vision and approach to filmmaking?
Living in the United States and particularly in New York City, has deeply influenced my creative approach. In New York as a filmmaker and producer, I feel completely alive. New York City not only never sleeps, but is incredibly fast-paced, ambitious, and industry-driven, which has pushed me to become even more decisive, resilient, and bold in all my creative choices. From the moment I wake up, I feel inspired to create. I studied in New York and right now I am working here full time as a director and producer in film.
There is a strong emphasis on productivity and execution here, which has helped me develop multiple projects efficiently while still protecting my artistic voice.
Being surrounded by filmmakers from all over the world and always making new connections, has also expanded my perspective and encouraged me to experiment more freely.
Can you tell us about your short films, including Wrong Move and Cast & Brew?
Wrong Move and Cast & Brew are my two most recent short films that came to me in different moments of my life, both carrying its own distinct energy. Both have been internationally recognized, screened at festivals worldwide, and received multiple awards and press coverage.
Wrong Move, explores technology and social media culture through an extreme and surreal premise: twin girls perform a viral dance move in social media that triggers a global blackout. The film is a dark, satirical reflection on our dependence on digital platforms and the fragility of modern systems. It questions the price we pay for visibility in this hyper-connected world. Wrong Move has won the Audience Choice Award at Festivals of Cinema NYC, The Best Horror Short at Love and Hope International Film Festival and at The North Film Festival in NYC.
Cast & Brew, on the other hand, imagines a world without coffee happening on a movie set. The diva actor cannot continue acting the scene without his cup of Joe first! What begins as an absurd concept slowly evolves into a social and emotional commentary, revealing how deeply ritual and consumption shape our daily lives. It asks why so many of us rely on a morning caffeine to keep up with the demands of productivity culture. What’s with this caffeine-rush? The film idea actually came to me by observing people while working of a cafeteria in Manhattan, New York.
Cast & Brew just started the Festival circuit this past year with over 13 selections, an Audience Choice Award at the Hudson Valley Film Festival and Best Direction Award at the Chicago Feedback Film Festival as well as Best Ensemble Nomination at Festival of Cinema NYC and Best Comedy Nominations at the Noho Cinefest in Los Angeles and at the Route 66 International Film Festival in Springfield. Cast & Brew had also a brief appearance on ABC7 News in Los Angeles with The Valley Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Both films embrace exaggerated premises to uncover uncomfortable truths, a recurring element in my work.
What kind of stories or themes are you most interested in exploring as a director?
I am particularly drawn to dark comedy, surrealism, absurdity, and emotionally extreme characters. I enjoy telling stories that create tension and discomfort while remaining playful and thought-provoking. I’m fascinated by characters that feel larger than life: heightened, bold, and expressive because exaggeration often exposes truths realism can’t. I love to include exaggerated characters that you wouldn’t normally see in real life on screen.
I’m especially interested in moments when the audience is laughing one second and questioning whether they should have laughed the next. I feel that when the audience is in tension or experiences uncomfortable laughter, that’s when you actually discover the deeper message of the story.
How does your experience developing projects in the U.S. compare to working or creating in Europe?
The contrast is quite striking to me. In the U.S., the creative culture is high-energy, fast-moving, and let’s keep it going! type of energy. Very result-oriented as there’s a strong push toward in time efficiency. In Europe, the process often feels more relaxed, reflective, and artistically driven, with a little more room for experimentation.
Both approaches have deeply influenced me, and I find myself always blending these two worlds, combining European sensibility and patience with American momentum and ambition.
Are there any current or upcoming projects you are developing that you would like to share?
I am currently developing and writing a feature film titled $200,000. The project explores intimacy, power, money, and vulnerability through dark humor and absurdity. While still in development, I’m deeply invested in bringing the film to life in the near future.
What are your professional goals over the next few years as a filmmaker?
My primary goal is to continue refining and deepen my creative voice, to continue developing scripts that feel authentic. I´d love to continue producing more feature-length work while keeping my own creative vision alive.
As a full-time director and producer, I am always either writing new ideas or producing others and I can’t wait to bring more stories to life this 2026.
Ultimately, I aim to create films that are emotionally resonant, visually distinctive, and unafraid to take risks.
Every film to me is a different world. A surreal one.
How can industry professionals and readers best get in touch with you?
You can find more about my work on my website at www.priscillazanni.com or follow me on Instagram at Priscilla Zanni
Share!