Overview

• Francis Ford Coppola, a five-time Oscar winner, received the AFI Life Achievement Award on April 26, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
• Steven Spielberg and George Lucas presented the award, with Spielberg praising 'The Godfather' as the greatest American film ever made.
• The gala featured prominent attendees, including Elle Fanning, Robert De Niro, Adam Driver, and members of the Coppola family, underscoring industry-wide respect for the honoree.
• The recognition comes after a challenging year for Coppola, marked by the commercial failure of his self-financed film 'Megalopolis' and a Golden Raspberry Award for worst director.
• Coppola's contributions to the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s, alongside Spielberg and Lucas, were a focal point of the evening's tributes.