LOS ANGELES — Legendary film director Francis Ford Coppola was named Tuesday the 50th recipient of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, billed as the nation's highest honor for a career in film.

"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," Kathleen Kennedy, chair of the AFI Board of Trustees, said in a statement.

Coppola directed three films listed on AFI's "100 Years ... 100 Movies" list — "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part II" and "Apocalypse Now." His other directing credits include "Bram Stoker's Dracula," "Peggy Sue Got Married," "The Conversation," "Finians Rainbow" and the Michael Jackson 3-D music video short "Captain EO." His long-awaited epic "Megalopolis" was released this year.

Outside of the director's chair, his producing credits include films such as "American Graffiti," "The Black Stallion," "Sleepy Hollow," "Kinsey" and "Lost in Translation."

According to AFI, Coppola's work alongside George Lucas at their American Zoetrope production company has helped launch and further the career of luminaries such as Al Pacino, Robert de Niro, James Caan, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfus, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Matt Dillon and Diane Lane.

The AFI Life Achievement Award is presented to a person "whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time."

Nicole Kidman received the latest honor earlier this year. Other previous recipients include Julie Andrews, Denzel Washington, Mel Brooks, Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Taylor, Sidney Poitier, Kirk Douglas, John Ford, Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock, James Stewart, Lillian Gish, Meryl Streep and Jane Fonda.

Coppola will be presented with the honor during a gala event at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on April 26, 2025.