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.”

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