Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will honor acclaimed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola during a handprint-footprint ceremony at the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX® on Friday, April 29, 2016 as part of the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival. Coppola has been a Hollywood icon for more than 50 years having directed such classics as The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now (1979), The Conversation (1974) among countless other classics and is an Oscar®, Golden Globe® and BAFTA® award winner. Renowned for his generosity with other filmmakers, Coppola has served as a fierce promoter and mentor to others, championing the work of directors George Lucas, John Milius and Sofia Coppola and actors Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Harrison Ford, James Caan and Diane Lane.
“Without a doubt, Francis Ford Coppola is one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation,” said TCM host Robert Osborne. “His Academy Award®-winning directing, producing and writing contributions have given audiences some of the most memorable films of the last half-century, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate his distinguished career, and our appreciation of what he’s added to our lives, than with this honor.”
This marks the sixth consecutive year TCM has featured a hand and footprint ceremony at the legendary TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX®. In 2011, Peter O’Toole was the honoree, followed by Kim Novak in 2012, Jane Fonda in 2013, Jerry Lewis in 2014 and Christopher Plummer in 2015.
Francis Ford Coppola is best known as the five-time Academy Award-winning director of such epic films as the Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now (1979). Born in Detroit in 1939, Coppola grew up in Queens, New York. Bedridden with polio as a child, he developed an interest in film after being given a toy movie projector. A prolific theater and film student at Hofstra College and UCLA, he first made his mark as the Oscar-winning screenwriter behind Patton (1970), and followed it up with the Godfather films, Apocalypse Now and The Conversation (1974). These films have consistently been listed among the greatest films ever made.
As the maverick founder of his company, American Zoetrope, he personally nourished the careers of talents such as George Lucas, Carroll Ballard, John Milius, his daughter, Sofia Coppola, and actors including Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, James Caan, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, Matt Dillon and Diane Lane. Zoetrope-produced films have received sixteen Academy Awards and seventy nominations.
As a writer, director, producer and technological pioneer, Coppola has created a body of work that has helped to shape contemporary American cinema. Francis Coppola created and presides over an international business empire that includes wine, resorts, and publications, as well as film.
Passes for the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival are on sale now. Fans are able to purchase them through the TCM Classic Film Festival website. As the number of passes available is limited, fans are encouraged to purchase their passes as soon as possible.
The “Spotlight” Festival Pass: $1,649 – Includes all privileges available to “Classic” and “Essential” passholders, priority entry to all screening events; plus entry to the exclusive opening-night party following the red-carpet gala screening at TCL Chinese Theatre; meet-and-greet events with TCM friends, including Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz; and a limited edition TCM Classic Film Festival poster.
The “Essential” Festival Pass: $749 – Includes all privileges available to “Classic” passholders, plus entry to the opening-night red-carpet gala screening at TCL Chinese Theatre and official TCM Classic Film Festival collectibles.
The “Classic” Festival Pass: $599 – Includes access to all film programs at festival venues Thursday, April 28 – Sunday, May 1 (does not include admittance to the opening-night red-carpet gala screening at TCL Chinese Theatre or the opening-night party); access to all Club TCM events, panels and poolside screenings at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; an opening-night welcome reception at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; and the closing-night event.
The “Palace” Festival Pass: $299 – Includes access to all screenings and events at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre (excluding the opening-night red-carpet gala) and the Egyptian Theatre Friday, April 29 – Sunday, May 1, as well as poolside screenings at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
(Source: TCM Pressroom)
