Julia Zakia has a Cinema Studies degree by the School of Arts and Communication - University of Sao Paulo (ECA - USP). Since then, she has directed five short-films, selected by the most important festivals around the world. She had the oportunity to accompany the portuguese cinematographer Eduardo Serra, assisting him during the shootings of  Blood Diamond, directed by Ed Zwick in Mozambique.

In 2007 she recieved the "Estímulo Prize" for short-films, granted by the São Paulo State Government  in order to develop the documentary short TARABATARA, about a gipsy family living in the state of Alagoas.

From the experience of living with this gipsy family she wrote the script of RIO CIGANO, her first feature film. 

DIRECTOR'S FILMOGRAPHY:

RIO CIGANO (DCP-fiction-90'-2015)

PEDRA BRUTA (35mm –fiction-8’-2009)

TARABATARA (35mm-documentary-23’-2007)

A ESTÓRIA DA FIGUEIRA (35mm-fiction-17’-2006)

O CHAPÉU DO MEU AVÔ (video-documentary-29’-2004)