Francesca Gregorini


Countess Francesca McKnight Donatella Romana Gregorini di Savignano di Romagna, known professionally as Francesca Gregorini, is an Italian-American film director and writer.

Personal life

Born in Rome, Italy, Gregorini is the daughter of former Bond girl Barbara Bach and businessman Count Augusto Gregorini Savignano sul Rubicone. Her mother is of Jewish and Irish descent. Gregorini is also the stepdaughter of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, with whom she is close. After boarding at TASIS, she attended Brown University graduating in 1990.
Gregorini was in a relationship with actress Portia de Rossi from 2000 to 2004. Since January 2014, she has been dating producer Morgan Marling, sister of actress Brit Marling.

Career

Gregorini contributed two songs to the soundtrack of the minor film See Jane Run, in which she also had a small acting role. She worked as a musician with her first CD "Sequel", where she sings, and plays the guitar and bass.
Gregorini sold scripts to both HBO and Paramount Pictures before co-helming, with Princess Tatiana von Fürstenberg, her directorial debut Tanner Hall, a coming of age story set in an all-girls boarding school in Rhode Island. Gregorini and von Furstenberg also co-wrote the independent film, loosely based on their own adolescent experiences. Gregorini said in an interview, "Naturally there are some autobiographical elements, combined with things we'd witness in boarding school, and many other parts that we made up completely. You will certainly find characteristics of both of us in each of the four main girls and if you spend even a half-hour with us, it will be very apparent to you, which girls are most like me and which ones are most like Tatiana." The film was an official selection at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.
Gregorini's film The Truth About Emanuel—starring Jessica Biel, Kaya Scodelario and Alfred Molina—was selected for the US dramatic competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
In summer 2018, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Killing Eve creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge hired Gregorini as a director for the show's second series.