#SFIFF57 PALO ALTO Interview: Gia Coppola & Emma Roberts

#SFIFF57 Interview: PALO ALTO’s Gia Coppola & Emma Roberts

18 May, 2014

Dig In Magazine’s Cindy Maram was on the red carpet of the 57th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival interviewing writer/director Gia Coppola and actress Emma Roberts for the west coast premiere of PALO ALTO. PALO ALTO is based on the collection of short stories, Palo Alto Stories, by writer/actor/director James Franco. Read our review and view photos from the SFIFF57 west coast premiere: red carpet, Q&A and after party!

Cindy Maram interviewing Gia Coppola and Emma Roberts for PALO ALTO on the SFIFF57 red carpet

Cindy Maram interviewing PALO ALTO’s Gia Coppola and Emma Roberts on the red carpet of the 57th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival./Photo credit: Jonathan Shensa

Dig In Magazine: Nice to meet you Gia and Emma. I’m Cindy from Dig In Magazine

Emma Roberts: Hi!

Gia Coppola Interview:

DIM: My first question is for you, Gia. What was it about James Franco’s short stories Palo Alto [Stories] that made you want to make this film?

Gia Coppola: It just depicted teenagers in a realistic way that I hadn’t seen in awhile and I was excited to try and portray that.

DIM: How was it working with James Franco as I know he was a writer and also acted in this film?

Gia: It was great! He is a director as well, so I could get advice from him when I needed it. He gave me freedom and also was very supportive when I needed it.

DIM: You come from a long line of filmmakers, at what point in your life did you decide that you also wanted to follow in their footsteps and make a film?

Gia: I studied photography and it seemed like a normal progression for me. And James really made me feel safe and I could feel comfortable to take that on.

DIM: And what are you trying to convey through this film PALO ALTO?

Gia: It’s about the universal emotions of being young and I hope people can connect to that.

DIM: Great! Well, thank you very much! Best of luck with film.

Emma Roberts Interview:

DIM: What was it that attracted you to this film and made you want to get involved?

Emma Roberts: Well, I was a big fan of the book. I read it the day it came out and I remember falling in love with it. I read the script and really loved Gia’s take on the book. And it was something that I really related to and definitely wanted to be a part of.

DIM: And how was your experience working with Gia and James [Franco]?

Emma: Working with Gia…it was great! It was a really fun set to be on, because we were all young and passionate about this project. And just kind of down to do anything. I felt really comfortable with Gia and I felt like I could do things that I feel I wouldn’t be able to do with another director. And working with James [Franco] was so fun. He’s so sweet and so funny. He has a really good sense of humor, so he was fun to work with on set.

DIM: You’ve been acting for a long time since you were really young, how was this role different than other roles you’ve played in the past?

Emma: This is a completely different role. I love this role, because I think it’s very real and honest. And got to do something really different.

DIM: Well, thanks so much! Nice to meet you!

Emma: Nice to meet you! Thanks!

Gia: Thank you!

About the author

Cindy Maram

Cindy Maram is a Dancer, Public Speaker and our Founder & Editor-in-Chief of the entertainment, fashion and arts publication, Dig IN Magazine. She is an accredited film critic for Cannes Film Festival in the South of France, Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, SFFilm Festival and CAAMFest, as well as a runway fashion photographer and editor for London Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week. She also serves as a professional sports photographer and writer. She is a prolific art critic providing media coverage for Art Basel Miami Beach and surrounding Miami Art Week fairs. As a creator, Cindy is a writer, vlogger, podcaster, social media strategist and manager possessing a Bachelor's Degree from UC Davis and Master's Degree completing graduate work in Mass Communications + Popular Culture Studies with an emphasis in Film/Marketing/Writing from Cal State Fullerton. Further, she is producer of independent feature length and short films, and is committed to supporting the visibility of underrepresented groups in the media and film industry.

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