Political India: Engaging America

From The Hindu

Francis Ford Coppola, director of cult classic films such as the Godfather series, will be awarded a lifetime achievement Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, it was announced.

In a statement the Academy said that its Board of Governors had voted to present the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to Coppola and also honorary awards to historian and preservationist Kevin Brownlow, director Jean-Luc Godard and actor Eli Wallach.

The Academy said that the four awards would be presented at its Second Annual Governors Awards dinner on November 13.

For the 71-year-old Coppola this will be a record-breaking sixth Academy award following four that he won for the Godfather films and one for original screenplay in Patton.

Speaking after the announcement Academy President Tom Sherak said, “Each of these honourees has touched movie audiences worldwide and influenced the motion picture industry through their work... It will be an honour to celebrate their extraordinary achievements and contributions at the Governors Awards.”

Coppola embarked on his film career in the early 1960s when he produced a number of low-budget films. However even by the end of the 1970s he had won five Oscars. Other notable films that he is credited with include American Graffiti, Gardens of Stone, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Jack and, most recently Tetro.

Coppola further established himself in the film industry when he created the American Zoetrope, an independent film studio that played a key role in launching the careers of other greats such as George Lucas. Since its inception in 1969 the studio has produced more than 30 films, including The Black Stallion, The Outsiders and The Good Shepherd.

His daughter, Sofia Coppola, is an Academy-award-winning director of movies such as Lost in Translation and The Virgin Suicides. His nephew is Nicolas Cage, an actor and also Academy award winner.

Labels: Francis Coppola