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NEW
YORK (AP) — Francis Ford Coppola will receive the 50th AFI Life
Achievement Award, the American Film Institute announced
Tuesday.
Coppola, who recently released his long-in-development epic
“Megalopolis,” will be presented with the award in a gala
tribute at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre on April 26. The
85-year-old filmmaker will be the 50th recipient of the award
first handed out to 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,” said the producer Kathleen Kennedy,
chair of the AFI board of trustees.
Coppola released “Megalopolis," a Roman epic set in modern-day
New York, in September. The film, which first premiered at the
Cannes Film Festival, drew mixed reviews from critics and
flopped with audiences. Coppola, though, has maintained he was
compelled to make “Megalopolis” as an artist, not as a
businessman. He self-financed the film.
“Everyone’s so worried about money. I say: Give me less money
and give me more friends,” Coppola told The Associated Press in
an earlier interview. “Friends are valuable. Money is very
fragile. You could have a million marks in Germany at the end of
World War II and you wouldn’t be able to buy a loaf of bread.”
Last year's AFI honoree was Nicole Kidman. Other recent
recipients include John Williams, Mel Brooks, Denzel Washington
and Julie Andrews.
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