Robert Schwartzman is the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, cousin of Nicolas Cage, Sofia Coppola, Roman Coppola and Christopher Coppola, and grandson of Italia Coppola (née Pennino) and Carmine Coppola (the source of his old stage name) and his niece, Gia Coppola. His brother is Jason Schwartzman, lead singer of the band Coconut Records (also an actor and former drummer of the band Phantom Planet) and his half-siblings are Stephanie Schwartzman and cinematographer John Schwartzman. Schwartzman is of Jewish descent on his father's side and of Catholic Italian descent on his mother's side. Schwartzman attended Windward School in Los Angeles, California and
Sofia Coppola debut with the coming-of-age drama "The Virgin Suicides" (1999), based on the novel of the same name by Jeffery Eugenides. It was the first of her collaborations with actress Kirsten Dunst. In 2003, she received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the comedy-drama "Lost in Translation" and became the third woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. In 2006, Coppola directed the historical drama "Marie Antoinette", starring Dunst as the ill-fated French queen. In 2010, with the drama "Somewhere", Coppola became the first American woman (and fourth American filmmaker) to win the Golden Lion,