Gian-Carla Coppolais an American film director and screenwriter. She made her directorial feature film debut with Palo Alto in 2013. She is a member of the Coppola family.
Career
Beginnings
Coppola's film career began when she directed a short film for her friend's fashion label. Subsequently, Coppola was hired to make short films for Opening Ceremony which starred Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman (her father's cousin), Zac Posen (who said that "she's going to be the next Coppola force to be reckoned with"), Diane von Fürstenberg, Rodarte, and Elle China.
Palo Alto
Coppola made her directorial feature film debut with Palo Alto, an adaptation of James Franco's short story collection of the same name. The film premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 70th Venice International Film Festival, as well as the 38th Toronto International Film Festival and the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. After befriending James Franco, Coppola was asked to adapt and direct his collection of short stories Palo Alto. She said she agreed to do the project because of how well she connected with the source material. When working on the film, she drew inspiration from films such as American Graffiti, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Outsiders, and The Virgin Suicides. Coppola collaborated with her teenage cast to write the script. Many parallels have been drawn between Coppola's debut and Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides, in terms of the style and genre.
In December 2013, it was announced that distributor Tribeca Film had picked up the film for distribution, and it was released theatrically on May 9, 2014. The film was released on DVD in the United States on September 9, 2014.
Mainstream
In May 2019, Coppola began filming Mainstream, for which she co-wrote the script with Tom Stuart. The film, starring Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke and Jason Schwartzman, follows three lovers who struggle to preserve their identities as they form an eccentric love triangle within the modern internet age.
