Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola is the director of 'The Godfather' (1972) and 'The Godfather Part II' (1974), the two most celebrated crime films ever made, and one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood movement that transformed American cinema in the 1970s. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he studied at UCLA Film School and first achieved success as a screenwriter, winning the Oscar for 'Patton' (1970) before taking the directorial gamble on 'The Godfather' that defined his legacy. His Vietnam War epic 'Apocalypse Now' (1979) is considered one of the greatest films ever made and one of the most legendarily difficult productions in Hollywood history.