Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sofia Coppola will take center stage as the marquee honoree at the Museum of Modern Art's annual film benefit in New York City on November 12. The prestigious event, presented by luxury fashion house Chanel, celebrates Coppola's remarkable career as both a director and longtime brand ambassador.
To commemorate the honor, MoMA will launch a special exhibition titled "Sofia Coppola: A Tribute," running from October 30 through November 16. The comprehensive showcase will feature screenings of all nine of Coppola's feature films in the Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters, including acclaimed works such as "The Virgin Suicides," "Lost in Translation," "Marie Antoinette," "Somewhere," "The Bling Ring," "The Beguiled," "On the Rocks," "Priscilla," and her latest documentary "Marc by Sofia." The program will also include her short film "Lick the Star" and other works from her filmography.
This recognition marks a significant homecoming for Coppola, as five of her films are already part of MoMA's permanent collection. The filmmaker was previously featured in a 2004 exhibition at the museum titled "A Work in Progress: The Films of Sofia Coppola," highlighting her emergence as a major cinematic voice over two decades ago.
"Developing long-term relationships with artists is one of the profound privileges and responsibilities for an institution like MoMA," said Rajendra Roy, MoMA's Celeste Bartos chief curator of film. "Sofia Coppola has been a part of the Museum's artist family since her emergence as an acclaimed director over 25 years ago. We celebrated her in 2004 as a part of our Work in Progress series, and we are thrilled to welcome her back now as a field-leading icon."
Chanel's partnership with MoMA runs deep, serving as a longtime champion of the cinematic arts and sponsor of the museum's annual Film Benefit since 2011. The fashion house has held the position of lead sponsor of film programming at MoMA since 2021, demonstrating its continued commitment to supporting artistic excellence in cinema.
Coppola joins an illustrious roster of previous MoMA Film Benefit honorees, following last year's recipient Samuel L. Jackson. The complete list of past honorees reads like a who's who of cinema, including directors Guillermo del Toro, Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuarón, Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodóvar, Kathryn Bigelow, Tim Burton, and Baz Luhrmann, alongside celebrated actors such as Penélope Cruz, George Clooney, Laura Dern, Julianne Moore, Tom Hanks, Cate Blanchett, and Tilda Swinton. This prestigious recognition solidifies Coppola's position among the most influential figures in contemporary filmmaking and promises an evening that celebrates both her artistic achievements and enduring partnership with the worlds of high fashion and fine art.
