Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will honor acclaimed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppoladuring 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.â€
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 Biography
Francis Ford Coppola is best known as the five-time Academy Award-winning director of such epic films as theGodfather 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.
About The TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX ®
Since 1927, The TCL Chinese Theatre has been the home of the most important, star powered red carpet movie premieres and special events, where Hollywood’s biggest and brightest talents have come to watch their movies. The most famous movie theatre on the globe is world-renowned for its unique forecourt of the stars, featuring cement hand and footprints of major movie stars, from Marilyn Monroe to Brad Pitt, and numerous stars from all eras of Hollywood. In 2013, the main theatre was relaunched as the world’s largest IMAX® theatre.
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About the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival
For the seventh consecutive year, thousands of movie lovers from around the globe will descend upon Hollywood for the TCM Classic Film Festival. The 2016 festival is set to take place Thursday, April 28 – Sunday, May 1, 2016. Over four packed days and nights, attendees will be treated to an extensive lineup of great movies, appearances by legendary stars and filmmakers, fascinating presentations and panel discussions, special events and more.
TCM host and film historian Robert Osborne will once again serve as official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival, with TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz introducing various events. The festival’s official hotel and central gathering point for the sixth consecutive year will be The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which has a longstanding role in movie history and was the site of the first Academy Awards® ceremony. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel will also offer special rates for festival attendees. Screenings and events during the festival will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres and the Egyptian Theatre, as well as other Hollywood venues.
Description of the 2016 festival theme Moving Pictures: The magic of movies isn’t just motion, it’s emotion. As we watch cinematic stories play out, they feel like our own. In 2016, the TCM Classic Film Festival explores MOVING PICTURES—the ones that bring us to tears, rouse us to action, inspire us, even project us to a higher plane.  In the heart of historic Hollywood we’ll gather to share the big-time emotions of big screen stories, from coming-of-age pictures to terminal tearjerkers, from powerful sports dramas we feel in our bones to religious epics that elevate our spirits. These are the films that that set our love of cinema in motion.
Festival Passes
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.