Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola was recently honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award at a prestigious ceremony held at Dolby Theatre, bringing together some of Hollywood's finest.
The evening was filled with heartfelt tributes from industry icons like Steven Spielberg, who declared The Godfather the "greatest American film ever made," and Robert De Niro, who humorously lamented being cast in the sequel and not the original.
Harrison Ford, with teary eyes, reflected on his role in Coppola's 1974 film The Conversation.
For Coppola, the recognition was a full-circle moment.
The 86-year-old director, who co-founded American Zoetrope with George Lucas in 1969, expressed his deep connection to the award, calling it a "personal recognition" from colleagues and friends he’s known throughout his life.
“When I was a kid there was the Oscars and that was it. Now they’re going to have an award show for the best award show,” Coppola said ahead of the ceremony, adding that it felt like a homecoming.
Spielberg, sitting next to Coppola and Lucas, praised the director’s groundbreaking contributions, saying, “You, sir, are peerless. You have taken what came before and redefined the canon of American film.”
Meanwhile, actor Morgan Freeman added humor to the evening, saying, “Dreamer of dreams on a dime, teller of tales that cost and lost millions. But tonight, (expletive) the bankers and the bank.”
George Lucas, a longtime friend and collaborator of Coppola’s, presented him with the award, reminiscing about their journey to “beat the system” and create their own production company.
“You rounded up a bunch of young film students, gathered us together. We moved to San Francisco, hoping to beat the system. And we did,” Lucas recalled.
Coppola’s acceptance speech was a heartfelt moment, as he expressed gratitude for the honor and emphasized the importance of community and collaboration.
“Now I understand here, this place that created me, my home, isn’t really a place at all, but you — friends, colleagues, teachers, playmates, family, neighbors, all the beautiful faces are welcoming me back,” he said. "I am and will always be nothing more than one of you."
The AFI Life Achievement Award is the highest honor from the American Film Institute, and Coppola became the 50th recipient of the prestigious award, first given to John Ford in 1973.
As part of the evening, guests were treated to wine from Coppola's own winery, and a selection of cannolis reflecting his Italian heritage.
The event was also a moment to honor Coppola’s legacy as a mentor.
“He’s very professorial. He talks about history and things and even older movies in the scene he’s inspired by,” said The Godfather III star Andy Garcia.
“You go into working with him in a movie, and you go in seeking an associate’s degree and you would walk out with a master’s.”
Despite the mixed reception of his latest project Megalopolis, a Roman epic set in modern New York, Coppola remains a steadfast artist.
Actor Adam Driver, who starred in the film, praised Coppola’s artistic integrity, saying, "For a year in our culture when the importance of the arts is minimized, and our industry is seemingly out in the open that the only metric to judge a film’s success is by how much money it makes, I hang on to individuals like Francis for inspiration, who live through their convictions."
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