Sofia Coppola the top prize at the Venice Film Festival. In 2013, she directed the satirical crime film "The Bling Ring", based on the crime ring of the same name. At the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Coppola became the second woman (and the first American woman) in the festival's history to win the Best Director award, for the drama film "The Beguiled". Sofia Coppola was born in New York City, the youngest child and only daughter of set decorator/artist Eleanor Coppola (née Neil) and director Francis Ford Coppola. Her father is of Italian descent. She was raised on her parents' farm in
Eleanor Coppola (nèe Loughton) in Sunset Beach, California. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in applied design and was a member of the women's fraternity Alpha Chi Omega (Alpha Psi chapter). While working on the set of the 1962 horror film "Dementia 13", she met her future husband Francis Ford Coppola. Her position was assistant art director, while Coppola was making his directorial debut with the film. The couple had been dating for several months when Eleanor discovered in 1963 that she was pregnant. Initially Eleanor considered giving the baby up for adoption, but was convinced otherwise by Francis Ford Coppola.