Today we’d like to introduce you to Lilia Doytchinova.
Hi Lilia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Bulgaria, in a place where dreams often felt out of reach—but imagination ran wild. I grew up surrounded by raw emotion, complex history, and deep poetry—all of which still shape the stories I tell today. From a young age, storytelling was how I made sense of the world. It wasn’t just about escape—it was about turning feeling into form.
At 17, I moved to the U.S. on my own and enrolled in a SUNY college in upstate New York. I had always admired the stage and wanted to immerse myself in theater arts. There was something sacred about performance—the vulnerability, the electricity of live emotion. But everything shifted when I watched Breathless (1960) for the first time. The jump cuts, the black-and-white grit, the chemistry between a woman and a man on the run—it cracked something open in me. As an 18-year-old stepping into her individuality, creative voice, and inner freedom, it felt like a revolution. From that moment, I knew cinema was my language.
I transferred to USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles, where I committed fully to the path of authorship. I didn’t just want to be a part of stories—I wanted to create them. Directing gave me power, clarity, and a kind of creative home I didn’t even know I had been searching for.
While still in school, I began working professionally on high-profile Hollywood productions like The Expendables franchise, Creed II, Mechanic: Resurrection, and Ray Donovan. I had the privilege of learning from industry legends—Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Liev Schreiber, Avi Lerner, Kevin King Templeton. That was my film school in motion: fast-paced, unpredictable, and intensely hands-on. I absorbed everything I could.
Eventually, I took everything I had—my education, instincts, and grit—and poured it into my debut feature, The Haunting of Hollywood. I wrote, directed, edited, and produced the film. It’s a psychological, supernatural drama that explores the emotional cost of chasing dreams in a city built on illusion. It’s both a love letter to LA and a cautionary tale for artists navigating the razor’s edge between hope and heartbreak. The film won Best Director and Best Thriller at multiple local and international festivals, which was incredibly validating—but what meant the most to me was hearing that the story truly resonated.
As an Eastern European woman living and creating in Los Angeles, my voice is layered. I have the poetic sensitivity of my roots and the bold ambition that comes from building a life in a city like this. I’ve lived the silence and the noise, the ache of leaving home and the fire it sparked in me. That contrast is what shapes my lens—it’s what makes my work personal and universal at the same time.
My story is about choosing purpose over perfection. About turning pain into poetry. I want to make work that helps people feel less alone in their struggles. Right now, I’m developing my second feature and a haunting, character-driven period TV series—and I’m still writing this story as I go.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all—but that’s where the soul of the story lives.
Like many artists carving out a path in Hollywood, I’ve faced rejection, burnout, and more than a few moments of deep self-doubt. Making The Haunting of Hollywood during the pandemic pushed me to my edge. We shot guerrilla-style—braving freezing mountain nights, abandoned city streets, and a constant sense of uncertainty. It was raw, emotional, and real in ways I hadn’t anticipated.
Post-production became its own mountain. I was in the editing room with over 70 hours of footage, trying to shape something coherent, honest, and emotionally resonant—searching for the film’s true heartbeat. There were days I questioned everything. But I kept returning to the original spark—that “why” that lit the match in the first place. That’s what carried me through.
As a female director, I’ve also moved through spaces where leadership didn’t always look like me. But every obstacle sharpened my voice. Every closed door taught me to build my own. The struggle didn’t just shape the film—it shaped me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a writer-director and independent filmmaker based in Los Angeles, specializing in psychological dramas that explore identity, illusion, and emotional truth. My stories live in that delicate space between beauty and darkness—where chaos and clarity coexist. Films that ask, “Are you okay?” and “What are you really chasing?”
What I’m most proud of is my debut feature, The Haunting of Hollywood. We made it with so much heart and almost no resources—filming at dawn in the hills above LA, chasing natural light, editing for months, and finding magic in the madness. It’s not just a ghost story. It’s about the quiet unraveling of artists, the price of legacy, and the mental weight that often hides behind ambition. It’s currently streaming on the Mometu app and will soon be available on Amazon.
But my roots are far from Hollywood whether doing theater or pursuing my film degree. My journey has always been about bridging worlds. I carry the poetic melancholy of Eastern Europe and the cinematic boldness of LA. That duality—raw and refined, grounded and dreamlike—is what shapes my lens.
I’ve worked on massive studio sets, but my heart belongs to the stories that often go unseen. The quiet ones. The emotional ones. The ones that live in silence and shadow. The ones that ask you to sit in discomfort—and maybe, just maybe, find some comfort within it.
What sets me apart is intention. I don’t just want to entertain—I want to connect. I want to hold space for pain, for truth, for healing. If my work helps someone feel seen, understood, or even just a little less alone—that’s the kind of success I’ll always be reaching for.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The biggest lesson? Trust your own timing. And keep creating—even when it feels like no one’s watching.
In an industry that constantly pushes urgency and competition, I’ve learned that real artistry takes patience. Stillness. Honesty. You can’t force a story before it’s ready—or before you’re ready to tell it.
As an immigrant, a woman, and an independent filmmaker, I’ve had to carve out space where none existed. And the moment I stopped trying to prove something and just focused on the stories only I could tell—that’s when everything began to shift.
I’ve also come to understand that the process is the reward. The late nights, the doubt, the messy drafts, the fleeting moments of clarity—they all matter. They shape the story, and the storyteller.
And most importantly: art is healing. If my work can help someone feel a little more seen, a little less burdened, or just understood for a moment—that’s the reason I keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.venuslightent.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venuslightent/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565028309579
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilia-d-4a2209b3
- Twitter: https://x.com/hauntingOfHwood
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hauntingofhollywood
- Yelp: https://www.instagram.com/hauntingofhollywood/
- Soundcloud: https://open.spotify.com/album/1BIGPxmd7JWF3qfYwOeQBz?si=l6pl2rZSReSualPqFr5UWg&nd=1&dlsi=287be518094d434e
- Other: https://watch.mometu.com/feature/haunting-hollywood
Image Credits
Pictures are from Silicon Beach Film Festival 2024 and Golden State Film Festival 2024, where “The Haunting of Hollywood” was awarded twice for Best Thriller. Picture from Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival where “The Haunting of Hollywood” had its world premiere at Regal LIVE cinemas- DTLA. Pictures from Cannes Film Festival 2024, where “The Haunting of Hollywood” had a debut at the Marche Du Film Market. And pictures from behind the scenes of Lilia with cast and crew.
