For Agnese Marsilii, award-winning Indie Film Director, Cinematographer, and Screenwriter, storytelling isn’t just a craft- it’s a force she can’t ignore. Born in Italy, a land where art and cinema breathe in every corner, she spent years exploring creativity in all its forms before finally surrendering to the undeniable call for filmmaking. Turns out, she had no intention to wait for someone to help her get into the industry, so she rolled up her sleeves and kicked down the door to her dream.
"I never went to Film School or considered becoming a filmmaker. Despite always being deeply creative, I struggled to find a way to channel that creativity until my mid-thirties. It was during the pandemic, experimenting with photography, that I found my true calling: making movies."
After nearly 3 years of relentless self-teaching, trial, and occasional existential crisis, she decided to produce her first short. Agnese’s directorial debut "BLOOM- The Only Way Out Is Through”, was premiered at the Canadian Academy of Cinema and Television qualifying Film Festival TINFF 2024, where she was awarded Best Female Filmmaker USA, and nominated for Best Short Film, Best Short Film USA, and Best Cinematography. Alongside multiple other accolades, she received the Silver Award for Best Cinematography from the “Independent Short Film Awards” in Los Angeles and the Award of Commendation from the Canada Shorts Film Festival. BLOOM was also nominated Best First-Time Female Director at the “Indie Short Fest” in Los Angeles, CA, and was an official selection at the Montreal Independent Film Festival 2024.
This proved she was finally on the right path and that persistence and passion always pay off.
Today, she is developing her first horror feature debut, INSIDIA, chasing new challenges..
As a director, she combines technical precision and creative vision, elevating every project. On set, and in her personal life, she is a volcano of energy and positivity, turning even the most challenging moments into winning opportunities. Agnese’s style as a director and cinematographer is shaped by the concept of Pure Cinema, she emphasizes imagery over dialogue. She favors a low-key aesthetic dominated by shadows, lighting a set with intention, and embracing a no-nonsense approach while meticulously curating every detail of the mise-en-scène. In short, she makes sure the film gets made, and gets made very well.
What sets her apart is also her deep understanding of storyboarding, editing, color grading, and sound design, making it natural for her to foster collaboration with all departments, and keep production on track, solving issues with strategic out-of-the-box solutions, avoiding indecisiveness, and time waste.
Her inspiration comes from the work of iconic directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Orson Welles, and Cinematographers like Gordon Willis, Brendan Kuroki Uegama, Gordon Verheul, Glen Winter, Crescenzo Notarile and Vittorio Storaro.
Agnese has a Bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Communication and Linguistics.
She lives in Boston, USA.
