The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today that cinematic icons George Lucas and Steven Spielberg will jointly present the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award to their longtime friend and collaborator Francis Ford Coppola. The prestigious ceremony will take place April 26 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The guest list reads like a hall of fame of film legends: Robert De Niro, Adam Driver, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Dustin Hoffman, Ron Howard, C. Thomas Howell, Diane Lane, Spike Lee, Ralph Macchio, Al Pacino, and members of the Coppola family, including Gia and Roman Coppola, will be on hand to celebrate the visionary filmmaker.
“There is only one Francis Ford Coppola,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “And it is AFI’s honor to gather the art and entertainment communities, along with his family, friends, and colleagues to celebrate cinema – all of it – and the very best of it.”
Coppola’s AFI tribute will be televised in a special airing on TNT, with an encore on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). This marks the 10th year that TNT will broadcast the Emmy-winning AFI Life Achievement Award. The air date is to be announced soon.
A Filmmaking Giant
Francis Ford Coppola is one of cinema’s most acclaimed auteurs, with a career spanning six decades and a body of work that has shaped modern American filmmaking. Among his many accolades are six Academy Awards, including the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. His masterpieces The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, and Apocalypse Now remain cornerstones of cinematic history, all featured on AFI’s list of the 100 Greatest American Films.
Through American Zoetrope, the production company he co-founded with George Lucas, Coppola cultivated new voices and talent, including his daughter Sofia Coppola, John Milius, and actors such as Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Harrison Ford, and Diane Keaton.
His latest film, Megalopolis, a decades-in-the-making Roman epic set in a futuristic America, premiered to a 10-minute standing ovation at the 77th Cannes Film Festival and was released worldwide in IMAX to critical acclaim.
Celebrating a Legacy of Excellence
The AFI Life Achievement Award is the highest honor for a film career. Established in 1973, it recognizes individuals whose work has advanced the art of the moving image. Previous recipients include legends such as Orson Welles, Bette Davis, Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, and Denzel Washington.
All proceeds from the gala benefit AFI’s ongoing educational and artistic programs, continuing its mission to champion the moving image as an art form.
Stay tuned for further updates, including broadcast details, as AFI prepares to honor one of the greatest storytellers in film history.
AFI Life Achievement Award Recipients
The 50th AFI Life Achievement Award Honoree joins an esteemed group of individuals who have been chosen for this distinguished honor since its inception.
1973 John Ford
1974 James Cagney
1975 Orson Welles
1976 William Wyler
1977 Bette Davis
1978 Henry Fonda
1979 Alfred Hitchcock
1980 James Stewart
1981 Fred Astaire
1982 Frank Capra
1983 John Huston
1984 Lillian Gish
1985 Gene Kelly
1986 Billy Wilder
1987 Barbara Stanwyck
1988 Jack Lemmon
1989 Gregory Peck
1990 David Lean
1991 Kirk Douglas
1992 Sidney Poitier
1993 Elizabeth Taylor
1994 Jack Nicholson
1995 Steven Spielberg
1996 Clint Eastwood
1997 Martin Scorsese
1998 Robert Wise
1999 Dustin Hoffman
2000 Harrison Ford
2001 Barbra Streisand
2002 Tom Hanks
2003 Robert De Niro
2004 Meryl Streep
2005 George Lucas
2006 Sean Connery
2007 Al Pacino
2008 Warren Beatty
2009 Michael Douglas
2010 Mike Nichols
2011 Morgan Freeman
2012 Shirley MacLaine
2013 Mel Brooks
2014 Jane Fonda
2015 Steve Martin
2016 John Williams
2017 Diane Keaton
2018 George Clooney
2019 Denzel Washington
2022 Julie Andrews
2024 Nicole Kidman
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