Tobia Sempi, born in Milan in 1978, has been driven by a passion for cinema since childhood. Initially captivated by practical special effects and dreaming of becoming an SFX artist, he was fascinated by the intersection of art and technology. This curiosity eventually led him to follow his deeper interest in visual storytelling and pursue a career in cinematography.
He studied at the Scuola d’Arte Cinematografica in Genova and later at the London Film School specializing in cinematography. After graduating, he worked in the camera department and shot short films and music videos before establishing himself as a full-time cinematographer.
Tobia began his career in advertising, shooting campaigns for brands such as BMW, VW, Jaguar, Mercedes, Lego, Facebook, Tod’s, Dolce e Gabbana, NFL, the Olympics and many others, specializing in automotive cinematography.
His feature credits include One Way starring Travis Fimmel and Kevin Bacon and Paradox Effect starring Harvey Keitel and Olga Kurylenko. In 2024, he served as Second Unit Action DP for the Paris Olympics closing ceremony, filming the Tom Cruise sequence.
He was named by the ASC and the American Cinematographer magazine one of the Rising Stars of Cinematography in 2021. His commercial work has received a D&AD Award, a Telly Award, the Best Daytime Cinematography Award, and the Fresh Future Carbon Awards.
Now based between Los Angeles and Milan, he continues to work internationally across feature films and commercial projects.
