Paolo Di Maio
Directing
Biography
With an International background and fluency in five languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese), Paolo Di Maio has lived, worked, and studied across the globe, including Switzerland, the UK, Brazil, Azerbaijan, the UAE, the USA, and Pakistan. An award winning and accomplished Film Director, Paolo has directed a wide range of projects across fiction, animation, documentary, and advertising. His experience as a Director spans national campaigns, television series, and original films. As a founder and Director of Gato Animation Studio, Paolo has written, directed, and led the creative development of multiple feature documentaries, animated shorts, and television commercials. Under his direction, Gato Studios has also produced striking title sequences for major TV shows. With his creative vision, storytelling depth, and international experience, Paolo Di Maio brings to each project the distinctive voice of a Director with a unique and deeply human cinematic language.
Known For
Lo Spauracchio Short Animation Film In a small mountain village in the heart of Italy's Abruzzo National Park, magical events unfold after a mysterious night. As nature shifts and wonder awakens, the villagers are faced with something, or someone, they do not understand. What follows is a poetic tale of fear, rejection, and the quiet strength of those who don't belong. Blending humor, magic and emotion, Lo Spauracchio is a timeless story about difference, empathy, and the courage to be seen.
The Spauracchio
Red Bird is a haunting and poetic documentary about a man, Giulio Petrilli, who spent nearly a decade in prison without a single piece of concrete evidence ever proving his guilt. Through deeply personal interviews, surreal visual metaphors, and stylized artistic interludes, the film explores the emotional and psychological devastation wrought by wrongful incarceration, portraying a justice system where silence, prejudice, and bureaucracy conspire to erase a life