Veteran Hollywood filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola has been honoured with the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award, the official Instagram page of the American Film Institute announced on Sunday.
“‘All the beautiful faces are welcoming me back because I am and will always be nothing more than one of you.’ - Francis Ford Coppola accepting the #AFILife Achievement Award,” wrote the organisers on Instagram alongside a picture of Coppola accepting the prestigious award.
At the awards ceremony, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas presented Coppola with the accolade, the highest honour by the American Film Institute, Variety has reported.
Calling Coppola “fearless”, Spielberg, who first met the ace director in 1967, said, “On one hand, you are a warrior for independent artists, you always champion their causes, but also, and always, you’re fearless in how open you are to ideas, opinions and inspiration.”
While Spielberg called Coppola’s magnum opus, The Godfather, “the greatest American film ever made”, Lucas said that the master filmmaker is his “hero”.
“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, because I am and will always be nothing more than one of you,” Coppola said in his speech after reflecting on memories with friends and family, according to Variety.
The Godfather actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino took to the stage to honour Coppola. “You changed my life,” De Niro said. Pacino expressed his gratitude towards Coppola for “believing in me even more than I believed in myself.”
Coppola also received tributes from Adam Driver, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Dustin Hoffman, Ron Howard, C. Thomas Howell, Diane Lane, Spike Lee and Ralph Macchio.
Francis Ford Coppola, known for his influential work in cinema, particularly during the 1970s, gained immense acclaim for directing iconic films such as The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now. His latest film, Megalopolis, however, has received a mixed reception following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Currently, the film holds a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a D+ CinemaScore.
