Meet Lilia Doytchinova

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lilia Doytchinova. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Lilia, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.

For me, taking risks has never felt optional — it’s been a way of surviving and staying true to myself. I grew up in Bulgaria and moved to the U.S. alone when I was 17. I didn’t know anyone, my family stayed behind, and English wasn’t even my first language. But I knew if I wanted to build the life I dreamed of — in theater, film, and storytelling — I’d have to risk leaving everything I knew behind.

I think when you grow up between cultures, you learn early that comfort can’t be your goal. You get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Over the years, I’ve had to bet on myself over and over again — whether it was transferring to USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, crashing on couches between jobs, or working on massive Hollywood sets while quietly planning my own first feature film.

The biggest risk I ever took was making “The Haunting of Hollywood”. No studio. No rich investors. Just my savings, my faith, and an amazing group of friends willing to sneak onto the Hollywood sign and film in the freezing cold to get the shots we needed. If there’s anything that film taught me, it’s that you can’t wait for the ‘right time.’ There is no ‘right time.’ There’s just the choice to leap.

Taking risks isn’t easy — I still get scared. But I remind myself that fear is often a sign that I’m doing something honest and worth doing. The risk is the path. If you trust yourself enough to leap, the ground will appear under your feet eventually — but you have to move first.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m a filmmaker, writer, and creative born and raised in Bulgaria, now living in Los Angeles. My work lives in the psychological spaces most people try to hide — the unsettling corners of ambition, identity, and what it costs to reinvent yourself.

What makes my work special, I think, is that I pull directly from my own immigrant experience — uprooting my life at 17, landing in America alone with a suitcase and a vision I wasn’t sure I’d survive chasing. That constant tension between risk and possibility shows up in everything I create.

Professionally, I direct and write psychological thrillers and dramas that peel back the surface. My first feature film, “The Haunting of Hollywood”, is streaming worldwide now — it’s a supernatural drama but also a mirror for how this city can turn your dreams into your darkest hauntings if you’re not careful. That film opened so many doors for me — not because it was huge-budget or polished by Hollywood standards, but because it was raw and real and people felt that.

Right now, I’m pouring my energy into my second feature, which dives even deeper into what it means to be an immigrant — the invisible parts of that identity people don’t see when they hear the word ‘dreamer.’ I’m also developing a period TV series that reclaims hidden European history through a female lens — something I’m really excited about.

What I want people to know about my work is this: I’m not afraid to get uncomfortable. I don’t shy away from stories that get under your skin. And I love collaborating with people who feel the same way — producers, writers, actors, artists who want to break something open together.

If you’re the kind of person who wants to make something that feels alive — something that takes risks and digs into the shadows — I’m your director. Right now, I’m always open to new collaborations and connections with people who believe the boldest stories are the ones we haven’t seen yet.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, three things have made the biggest difference for me: courage, adaptability, and a deep sense of empathy.

First, courage — not the Hollywood kind, but the quiet, stubborn courage to keep going when no one’s clapping for you yet. Moving alone to the U.S. at 17, making my first feature without big money behind me, putting my own story out there — none of that would have happened without learning how to push through fear. My advice? Practice doing small scary things daily. Say yes when your gut says yes, even if your brain screams no.

Second, adaptability. Filmmaking, especially indie filmmaking, will break your perfect plan a hundred times. Locations fall through, funding disappears, shots don’t work out. I learned that the faster you can pivot, the better the story gets. My advice here: don’t fall in love with the perfect version in your head. Fall in love with the process — and trust that sometimes the ‘problem’ is the thing that makes your work special.

Third, empathy. Stories live and die on your ability to see into other people’s worlds. Being an immigrant, working on all kinds of sets, living in different cities — it taught me to observe, listen, and care about the people whose stories I’m trying to tell. For young storytellers, my advice is simple: stay curious. Watch people. Ask questions. Feel everything, even the uncomfortable stuff — that’s where the real stories hide.

If you can keep those three alive — courage, adaptability, and empathy — you’ll have what you need to keep going, even when the path looks impossible.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Yes — I’m absolutely looking to collaborate with people who feel moved by the same raw, human truths I do. I love working with producers, writers, actors, cinematographers, artists and fellow directors who aren’t afraid to take risks, break genre rules, and lean into the darker, more complex sides of storytelling.

Right now, I’m especially looking to build a strong team of producers — people who share my bold vision and want to help bring challenging, emotionally layered stories to the screen. I’m also excited to connect with other immigrants, women, and international creatives who bring layered perspectives to the table. I believe the best work happens when we mix cultures, histories, and ideas that aren’t usually in the same room.

I’m currently developing my next feature and a period TV series — but I’m also open to joining forces on other films, series, theater, or any kind of live project that has psychological depth and emotional honesty at its core.

If you’re reading this and something clicks — if you think we could build a story that feels fearless and alive — I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me through my website, my social channels, or just email me directly. I believe the right people find each other when the work is honest and bold enough to attract them. So if you feel that pull, let’s talk. Let’s make something unforgettable together.

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