As the daughter of a three-decade-long York University staff member, Francesca Accinelli, BFA’92, literally grew up on campus. She attended York Youth Connection Camps and held multiple jobs at York even before choosing to study at the University as a fine arts student.

During her degree, Francesca co-founded the Creative Arts Student Association and immersed herself in Vanier College Productions (VCP) as an actor, producer and director. VCP’s theatre company has continued to offer many opportunities over the years for her to remain connected to her alma mater — and to the stage. These powerful experiences also inspired her first career as a theatre producer and cultural administrator.

Francesca later shifted gears into television production, where she worked on big budget TV series and Movies of the Week produced for Alliance Atlantis, among other companies which lead her to being hired at the Canadian Television Fund in 2001.

In 2006, she joined Telefilm Canada as the deputy director of the English market for the Canadian Television Fund Program Management team (now Canada Media Fund) later promoted to director of that team. She went on to serve as the federal cultural agency’s director of promotions and communications, overseeing a team of 30 that promotes Canadian film and talent on the national and global stage, including at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival.   In January 2024, Francesca was named Senior Vice-President, Program Strategy and Industry Development.

Throughout her career, Francesca has remained an engaged champion of York and of the local arts community. A member of the York University Board of Governors since 2018, she is also chair  performing arts company Culchaworks.