Ciancio also designed the costumes for the 2013 film La grande bellezza.
Ciancio graduated high school in 1983, and proceeded to study stage design at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli, earning a diploma in scenography.
In 1994, she was awarded a diploma at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, winning an internship with Piero Tosi.
Her career has spanned cinema, theatre, opera and television.
Between 2009 and 2013 Ciancio has been a member of the board of the European Film Academy (EFA), European Film Award – Berlin and she is a jury member of the David di Donatello since 2005.