Francis Ford Coppola directs films.
Francis Ford Coppola . His directorial prominence was cemented with the release in 1972 of The Godfather , a film which revolutionized movie-making in the gangster genre , earning praise from both critics and the public before winning three Academy Awards -- including his second Oscar ( Best Adapted Screenplay , with Mario Puzo ) , Best Picture , and his first nomination for Best Director . The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo , starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro . The Outsiders is a 1983 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola , an adaptation of the novel of the same name by S. E. Hinton .