As a hold-over from his days directing theater when he was young, he always engages his cast in a lengthy rehearsal period before filming. Occasionally, he finds film actors that are not used to this will bristle against the process.

Since the mid-90s, he has been writing and re-writing an original screenplay entitled "Megalopolis". Described as "one man's quest to build utopia set in modern-day New York," the project has been delayed due to Coppola's constant tinkering with the script and the fact that the director is attempting to finance it himself. Several A-list actors have had their names attached to it and a great excess of second-unit footage (shot in 24p HD) has been captured by Coppola and the film's cinematographer, Ron Fricke of 'Baraka' (1992) fame.

His wife arranged for him to meet Jane Powell as a 40th birthday present.

Serves as the Honorary Ambassador of the Central American nation of Belize in San Francisco, California, USA. On their official roster of worldwide honorary consulates found on their official website, he is referred to as "His Excellency Ambassador Francis Ford Coppola," although he is not a Belizean citizen.

Francis Ford Coppola has been in competition with Bob Fosse on several occasions. In 1972, Coppola was nominated for the Best Director Oscar (The Godfather), but lost to Fosse (Cabaret). In 1974, Fosse was nominated for Best Director (Lenny) but lost to Coppola (The Godfather Part II). In 1979, both were nominated as directors (Apocalypse Now and All That Jazz), but both lost. When Fosse won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival (Coppola won the previous year), he tied with Akira Kurasawa, whose movie was produced by George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola.

Was voted the 21st Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Was in the early stages of developing a script for a fourth Godfather film with Mario Puzo which was to tell the story of the early lives of Sonny, Fredo and Michael. After Puzo's death in July of 1999, Coppola abandoned the project, stating that he couldn't do it without his friend.

President of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1996

Currently owns 2 resorts in Belize and 1 in Guatemala. They are the Blancaneaux Lodge in the Pine Ridge Region, Turtle Inn in Placencia and La Lancha near Tikal in Guatemala.

Often casts his own real-life extended family members in his films. In the case of the Godfather films, their characters' relationships to Michael Corleone often paralleled their real-life relationship to Coppola. He cast his sister, Talia Shire, as Michael's sister Connie, and his daughter, Sofia Coppola, as Michael's daughter Mary - named for Coppola's other daughter. In addition, Diane Keaton said that she modeled her performance as Kay Adams after Elanor Coppola, since both Kay and Coppola are protestants who married into Italian Catholic families.

Was named after his grandfather Francesco Pennino.

Brother-in-law of Bill Neil.

Out of all his peers who rose to fame and power in the 1970s "Golden Age" era, he is perhaps the only filmmaker still married to his first wife.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945- 1985". Pages 227-234. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.

M.F.A. from University of California. [1967]

Since the mid-90s (and possibly even earlier), he has been writing and re- writing an original screenplay entitled "Megalopolis". Described as "one man's quest to build utopia set in modern-day New York," the project has been delayed due to Coppola's constant tinkering with the script and the fact that the director is attempting to finance it himself. Several A-list actors have had their names attached to it and a great excess of second-unit footage (shot in 24p HD) has been captured by Coppola and the film's cinematographer, Ron Fricke of _Baraka_ (1992) fame.

As of 2002, he is one of only four people to simultaneously win Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (the other three being James L. Brooks, Billy Wilder, and Leo McCarey).

Four of his relatives have been involved in the Star Wars films of his friend George Lucas. His brother-in-law, Bill Neil, worked at Industrial Light and Magic during the production of the original trilogy. His daughter, Sophia, and son, Roman, played a handmaiden and Naboo guard, respectively, in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. His nephew, Christopher Neil, who worked as a dialogue coach for both Francis (on Jack and The Rainmaker) and Sophia (on The Virgin Suicides), did the same job on Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith--a job for which Coppola recommended him. In addition, his late older son was named Gian-Carlo. In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, there is a Naboo vehicle called the Gian Speeder.

Made a commercial for Suntory whiskey with legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa in the 1970s, an event which later influenced a salient plot point in his daughter Sofia's movie, Lost in Translation (2003).

There are three generations of Oscar winners in the Coppola family: Francis, his father Carmine Coppola, his nephew Nicolas Cage and his daughter Sofia Coppola. They are the second family to do so, the first family is the Hustons - Anjelica Huston, John Huston and Walter Huston.

He is among an elite group of seven directors who have won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay (Original/Adapted) for the same film. In 1975 he won all three for The Godfather: Part II (1974). The others are Leo McCarey, Billy Wilder, James L. Brooks, Peter Jackson and Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (the brothers co-produced, co-directed and co-wrote No Country for Old Men (2007) with each other).

He, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg presented Martin Scorsese with his first ever Oscar for Best Director for The Departed (2006). All four directors were part of the "New Hollywood" movement in the 60s and 70s.

Was involved in both movies that his father and his daughter won Oscars: He was the director of _The Godfather: Part II (1974)_ which won his father an Oscar for "Best Music, Original Dramatic Score" and he was the executive producer of Lost in Translation (2003) which won his daughter the Oscar for "Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen"

Brother of August Coppola.

Coppola began his winery enterprise by buying portion of historic Inglenook estate in 1975. His success in field is explored in book "A Sense of Place" by Steven Kolpan, 1999.

Grandfather of Gia Coppola. Great-uncle of Weston Coppola Cage.

The only person to direct a sibling in an Oscar-nominated performance (his sister Talia Shire was nominated as "Best Actress in a Supporting Role" for The Godfather: Part II (1974))

As a child his bedroom was covered with pictures of his favourite film star, Jane Powell. When he discovered she'd married Geary Anthony Steffen, Jr. he tore them all down.

Uncle of Matthew Shire.

Frequently casts Robert Duvall, the late John Cazale, Nicolas Cage, Diane Keaton, Matt Dillon, and Laurence Fishburne.

Father of Mary Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Roman Coppola and Gian-Carlo Coppola.

In 1975, he accepted the Oscar for "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" on behalf of Robert De Niro, who wasn't present at the awards ceremony. De Niro won for his performance in Coppola's The Godfather: Part II (1974).

Favorite movies from his own personal filmography: The Rain People (1969), The Conversation (1974), Apocalypse Now (1979), Rumble Fish (1983) and Youth Without Youth (2007).

In 1986 his 22-year-old son, Gian-Carlo, died in a boating accident.

His middle name was given to him to honor Henry Ford. Francis was born at the "Henry Ford" Hospital in Detroit; Francis`s father participated in a music show that Henry Ford really liked and they, in fact, met. So the middle name Ford was to honor Henry Ford himself. (Source: Francis F. Coppola, "Inside the Actor`s Studio").

Briefly attended the New York Military Academy where Troy Donahue was his classmate. They later worked together on The Godfather: Part II (1974).

Uncle of Nicolas Cage, Christopher Coppola Marc Coppola, Robert Schwartzman, Jason Schwartzman, `John Schwartzman (I)`, and Stephanie Schwartzman.

Co-owns the Rubicon restaurant in San Francisco with Robert DeNiro and fellow Bay area resident Robin Williams

Directed 12 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Geraldine Page, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Robert De Niro, Michael V. Gazzo, Lee Strasberg, Talia Shire, Kathleen Turner, Andy Garcia and Martin Landau. Brando and De Niro won their Oscar for their performances as Vito Corleone.

In 1971 and 1973, George C. Scott and Marlon Brando refused their respective Best Actor awards for Patton (1970) and The Godfather (1972) - both written by Coppola.

George Lucas said that he based the Han Solo character from the Star Wars trilogy on Coppola.

As a child his bedroom was covered with pictures of his favourite film star, Jane Powell. When he discovered she`d married Geary Anthony Steffen, Jr. he tore them all down. His wife arranged for him to meet Jane Powell as a 40th birthday present.

Has released his own line of specialty foods.

As of May 2002, the number of Coppola-family members appearing in or contributing to filmmaking stands at thirteen, spread over three generations.

Since 1978, owner and operator of a Rutherford, California vineyard making Rubicon wine.

Received an M.F.A. in Film Production from the University of California in Los Angeles (1967.

Son of composer Carmine Coppola and Italia Coppola.

Father of Sofia, Roman and Gian Carlo Coppola.

Brother of Talia Shire.

Like Martin Scorsese, Coppola was a sickly youth, a case of polio which allowed him time to indulge in puppet theater and home movies.

Some sources say he is the uncle of Alan Coppola, but Alan`s name does not appear on any family tree authorized by the Coppola family.

Caught polio when he was a child. During his quarantine, he practiced puppetry.