Born Francis Ford Coppola (April 7, 1939), an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely regarded as one of Hollywood's most significant influential film directors. First noted for co-writing the script for Patton in 1970, which earned him an Academy Award, his directorial fame escalated with the release of The Godfather in 1972. The film revolutionized movie-making in the gangster genre, and received three Academy Awards. It was followed by an even more successfull sequel The Godfather Part II which earned Coppola three Academy Awards—for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture. Amongst his other work, the 1979 Apocalypse Now was celebrated for its vivid depection of the Vietnam war and won a Palme d'Or at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival.