Sofia Coppola, draped in a long, black, sequin Chanel gown, walked into the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan on Wednesday night alongside the stars and fans of her many films. Nearby, the actors Bill Murray, Elle Fanning and Rose Byrne posed for cameras and gushed about Ms. Coppola and her work.
“It’s really surreal,” said Ms. Coppola, standing with her husband, Thomas Mars, and their teenage daughters, Romy Mars and Cosima Croquet. “I never in a million years thought that I would be recognized for my films.”
Ms. Coppola, 54, was being honored at MoMA’s annual film benefit for her nearly three-decade career as a filmmaker. In 1999, she made her feature directorial debut with the psychological drama “The Virgin Suicides” and has gone on to direct and write many more movies. She won an Oscar for best screenplay for her 2003 romantic comedy “Lost in Translation.”
“The tone of her films is so uniquely feminine, and gentle and very funny,” said Ms. Byrne, 46, who wore a black and white silk top, jacket and pants. “There’s a very keen and observational quality to her work.”
The gala, sponsored by Chanel, which outfitted many of the high-profile guests, raises money for the museum’s film collection and exhibitions and has, in the past, honored an esteemed group of movie stars and filmmakers including Tom Hanks, Penélope Cruz and Martin Scorsese. (Organizers did not disclose how much the benefit raised.)
Lupita Nyong’o, dressed in a black viscose dress with a white rhinestone-studded collar necklace and matching earrings, said “Lost in Translation” was the first film she watched by Ms. Coppola.
“In a world where there’s nothing but fast cuts and 30-second videos, to watch a Sofia Coppola film is to arrive in a beautiful, kinetic stillness,” Ms. Nyong’o said. “She brings a real tenderness to how she tells stories.”
Around 8 p.m., about 300 guests, which included David Letterman, Olivia Wilde and the art dealer Larry Gagosian ascended a grand staircase to the museum’s atrium for a dinner of mushroom salad and short rib at long, candlelit tables. A roster of speakers that included Ms. Fanning, Mr. Murray and Josh Hartnett, who played the high school heartthrob Trip Fontaine in “The Virgin Suicides,” toasted Ms. Coppola’s career throughout the evening.
Ms. Fanning, who starred in Ms. Coppola’s “Somewhere” (2010), a wry comedy about show-business life, when she was 11, shared her experiences during filming.
“From the beginning, Sofia always treated me with care and kindness,” Ms. Fanning, 27, who wore an off-white sequin top and skirt, told the room. “She made me feel valued as an equal, even as a kid on set. I looked up to her then, but it’s only in the rear view do I understand how deeply she imprinted on me, the confidence that she gave me.”
After an evening full of tributes, which included a performance from Elvis Costello, introduced by Mr. Letterman, Ms. Coppola mused on the challenges faced by female filmmakers and the importance of female executives in the industry.
“When I started, it was such a different time,” said Ms. Coppola, who recalled one executive telling her that “you couldn’t have a story with a female main character.”
“It’s so gratifying to see stories about girls and women,” she said, “and to see so many young women filmmakers today.”
Sarah Bahr writes about culture and style for The Times.
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