The whimsical comedy Zoe makes its New York debut at Dances With Films NYC, introducing audiences to a charming film from filmmakers Emanuela Galliussi and Dean Ronalds.
Blending fantasy, romance, and self-discovery, Zoe marks a significant milestone for Galliussi, who stars in the film while making her feature-length debut as both writer and director, alongside Ronalds, who serves as co-director and producer.
The film boasts an expansive and diverse ensemble cast, including Emanuela Galliussi, Daniele Natali, Virgilio Mongelli, Francesca Olivi, Claudio Mezzelani, Alma Harizaj, Donatella Ferrante, Ester Masarotti, Nicola Fraccalaglio, Giacomo Clochiatti, Jacopo Cullin, Michel Rodriguez Carmona, Miguel Ramon Vingut, Meritxell Martinez, Neil Ahern, Jaspal Binning, Beth Mccreton, Adam James, Ever Love Hope, Elizabeth Kalton, Josh Lonsdale, Margot Dal Ben, Daisy Kakkar, Chanel Victor, Cedric Ido, Pascaline Bellegarde, Lara Gautier, and Simon Valentin.
At the heart of Zoe is its titular character, an Italian woman who appears to have everything that should make her happy—yet feels inexplicably unfulfilled. During a Mardi Gras celebration, Zoe encounters a mysterious little boy dressed as a wizard who grants her a tantalizing opportunity: three chances to live the life she has always yearned for. If she fails to find what she is looking for, she will be stuck with him forever.
Over the course of three magical days, Zoe awakens in Ibiza, London, and Paris, each city offering a new version of herself shaped by different lifestyles, lovers, and possibilities. These parallel lives unfold as vivid “what-if” scenarios—playful, romantic, and occasionally disorienting—forcing Zoe to confront not only what she wants, but who she truly is.
While Zoe may not find the love she expects, her journey leads to something deeper. Through this fantastical odyssey, she reconnects with her inner child, seeking harmony between body, mind, and spirit. Upon returning home, Zoe begins to live anew, forever changed by the magic she encountered. When she meets the little wizard once more, she realizes his gift was far more powerful than she ever imagined—setting her free, even if it means being “stuck” with him forever.
In a statement, directors Emanuela Galliussi and Dean Ronalds said, “Our partnership started after we fell in love on set in Africa: Dean was producing and directing while Emanuela was starring. Developing and realizing films together seemed the natural extension of our love as much as getting married and having a baby. Before Covid, we were in pre-production for our latest drama. We halted production, and like everybody else, we halted our lives. During those years, a lot happened in our family that impacted us as artists, and while the pandemic had many negative repercussions, the stakes of it inspired us to take a chance and relocate to Italy where we have found our new home. But, between the Covid years and the worldwide political scenarios, we found ourselves wondering what story we needed to tell in a world that for us was lacking compassion and grace. On top of it, dealing with immigration for the last decade and having many foreign friends made us realize that it doesn’t matter what language you speak, what your sexuality is or your beliefs, we ALL want the same thing: truth and love. That’s how ZOE was born. A light hearted, uplifting story that could touch the inner child, filling us with hope and taking us on a fantastic journey.”
They added, “The film’s style and tone are a modern-day “Big” meets “Eat Pray Love” with strong influences from directors like Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig, Steven Soderbergh, Alejandro Inarritu, and Cédric Klapisch. Zoe is Emanuela’s (Fourplay, Baciami Ancora, Una Talpa Al Bioparco) debut feature film as a writer and director. Dean Ronalds (Fourplay, #Screamers, Meet The Browns), also serves as co-director and producer. Zoe has been attracting incredible humans and artists who embarked on this journey for the joy of bringing this multilingual magical story to life which ultimately for us is the true meaning of storytelling.”
Watch the first trailer for Zoe above.
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