Australian born with Russian and Italian heritage, Francesca credits her mother for introducing her to books and films (everything from Hollywood greats to Russian cinema). Throughout the years, Francesca has worked as a make-up artist (for film); was on radio; researched material for film and for TV film guides; was production coordinator for a TV drama series and developed her own documentary project. She began research for 'Film Food' in the mid-1990s, finally completing the book after time off, recovering from cancer. Francesca is married with one adult son.
