After a year that saw Francis Ford Coppola unveil “Megalopolis,” a lifelong passion project on which he staked a large part of his personal fortune, the beloved filmmaker is set to receive one of the most prestigious honors in Hollywood.
The American Film Institute will honor Coppola with its AFI Life Achievement Award at a gala held at the Dolby Theatre on April 26, 2025. The New Hollywood legend will be the 50th recipient of the award, continuing a tradition that began with John Ford in 1973.
“Francis Ford Coppola is a peerless artist — one who has created seminal works in the canon of American film, and has also inspired generations of filmmakers who now embody his artistry and his independent spirit,” Kathleen Kennedy, who serves as chair of the AFI Board of Trustees, said in a statement. “AFI is honored to present him with the 50thAFI Life Achievement Award.”
The AFI Life Achievement Award is given each year to an artist who has accumulated an exemplary career in the film industry. Other recent recipients include Nicole Kidman, John Williams, Denzel Washington, Diane Keaton, and Julie Andrews.
The career-spanning award will be a recognition of Coppola’s half-century in the entertainment industry, beginning with his years as an independent producer mentoring filmmakers like George Lucas through his production company American Zoetrope through his acclaimed filmmaking run in the 1970s that saw him win five Oscars and two Palme d’Or awards for his films “The Graduate,” “The Godfather,” “The Godfather Part II,” and “Apocalypse Now,” to the decades of experimentation that followed his mainstream success.
Make no mistake: Coppola’s lifetime achievement award does not mean he’s slowing down or stepping away from filmmaking. The director recently told The Telegraph that he is moving ahead with his next movie, an adaptation of Edith Wharton’s 1922 novel “Glimpses of the Moon,” which he hopes to shoot in London.
“I’ve turned it into a very odd confection,” Coppola said of his approach to the adaptation, adding that the film will feature “strong dance and musical elements.”
