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Movie-making maestro Martin Scorsese was recently awarded the highest accolade of the Fellowship of the 65th British Academy Film Awards. From 1971, the Academy Fellowship has been annually awarded to an individual in recognition of outstanding achievement in the art forms of the moving image. Past candidates have spanned star-quality actors such as Laurence Olivier, Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor, Jeanne Moreau, Michael Caine and Sean Connery. Famous directors previously recognised include Alfred Hitchcock, Powell and Pressburger, David Lean, Louis Malle, Ingmar Bergman, Billy Wilder, Woody Allen, Johns Huston and Schlesinger, Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg. In its forty year history, following Federico Fellini’s Fellowship in 1987, Martin Scorsese is only the second ever recipient of Italian heritage.

According to Tim Corrie, Chairman of BAFTA, the director – now in his sixth decade of film-making - proved a natural choice. ‘Martin Scorsese is a legend in his lifetime; a true inspiration to all young directors the world over. We are delighted to honour his contribution to cinema history.’

With a prolific output both critically acclaimed and a consistent commercial success, the director, producer and screenwriter has been eleven times nominated by BAFTA already, winning three awards in 1991 for ‘Goodfellas’. To date, the Scorsese CV covers 22 films from the breakthrough ‘Mean Streets,’ together with ‘Taxi Driver,’ ‘Raging Bull’, ‘Goodfellas’ and the later ‘Cape Fear’- all featuring Robert de Niro - through ‘The Color of Money,’ the controversial ‘The Last Temptation of Christ,’ ‘Casino’ , the Oscar-winning ‘The Departed’ and many others. Significant themes Scorsese often explores span Italian American identity to modern crime and violence. Roman Catholic tinged guilt and redemption is another movie motif which links with his devout early home life and initial desire while at high school to become a priest. Five times married Scorsese is famously quoted as commenting: ‘I'm a lapsed Catholic. But I am Roman Catholic, there's no way out of it.’

Later years have seen a departure into other genres – bio-pics of Howard Hughes in ‘The Aviator’ and musical documentaries covering The Blues, Bob Dylan, The Stones and George Harrison to period style productions in ‘The Age of Innocence’ and American TV hit series, the 1920s set ‘Boardwalk Empire’. Last year’s foray into 3D family adventure ‘Hugo’ was said to be inspired by the youngest of his three daughters, Francesca.

From the stage of the Royal Opera House in London, the Fellowship award came as an equally grand finale on a night glittering with international ‘A list’ film talent. In attendance at the 2000 capacity event were stellar Brits such as Colin Firth, Dame Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Americans Brad Pitt and George Clooney, Australians Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman, to Europeans Penelope Cruz and charming Bafta award winner for best actor, The Artist, Jean DuJardin.

Leading the Scorsese tribute, actor As Max von Sydow – recently seen in ‘Shutter Island’ - explained: ‘To be awarded the Fellowship of the Academy you need to have made a unique, ground-breaking and extraordinary contribution to the art of film-making. Tonight’s recipient has done that and much more. He is unquestionably the greatest American film-maker of his generation. He is a director whose technical innovation and mastery are unparalleled. His astonishing body of work contains some of the most iconic themes of all time, earning him the love and respect of his followers and peers in the industry.’

Actor Sir Christopher Lee – himself last years’ recipient of the Fellowship - added congratulations to his ‘very dear friend and cinematic genius’ via video-link. A favourite actor of Scorsese’s frequently linked with his earlier films, Robert de Niro, sent more informal congratulations: ‘We spent nearly 20 years together making movies from ‘Mean Streets’ to ‘Cape Fear’. Each one was a unique experience. In the 20 years since we’ve stopped making movies together, we’ve moved onto awards ceremonies shamelessly giving each other pats on the back!’ he joked. ‘In celebrating your extraordinary work, it’s a great award for a great artist and great friend.’

Visibly moved and smartly tuxedo-clad, Scorsese took to the stage to thunderous applause. ‘Thank you so much for presenting me with this tonight, it’s such an honour,’ he began. ‘Just holding it is an honour – getting it is like a dream!’ Already the winner of countless honours world-wide - including Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, DGA Awards plus the AFI Life Achievement Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - the BAFTA Fellowship held special resonance due to his love of British film, Scorsese explained. As the asthmatic son of Sicilian Americans living on Long Island in the States, unable to join in with other kids or play much sport, he was movie-mad and would often visit his local cinema with his parents. Though the American tradition of westerns, musicals and film noir interested him, Italian Neo-realism – as epitomised in post-war classic ‘Bicycle Thieves’ alongside ‘Paisa’, ‘Rome’ and ‘Open City’ - together with the best of British film, provided his greatest inspiration.

‘For me, British cinema was something that was formative,’ he said in his acceptance speech. ‘Italian and British movies were the first movies that I ever saw that weren’t made in America.’ He went on, ‘Italian films were familiar to me, closer to home, closer to what I knew, living nearer to New York. British films were more exotic, more fun and they seemed to be in a language that was familiar but enigmatic. Intriguingly enigmatic! What they offered to me then - and still do - is a mystery and a grand marvel.’

Paying tribute to his latest release, ‘Hugo’ – the first in a long line of films to be shot in Britain, he added, ‘The rich tradition of British cinema also embraces the peerless craftsmanship of the British crews who helped me with dedicated and extraordinary imagination here. I’d also like to hope that this BAFTA gives me visiting privileges to that same rich tradition of British cinema that inspired your great film poets. The BAFTA also has a particular personal resonance because it’s the first award I’ve ever shared with (film-makers) Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. I think of them as two of these great poets and as the ‘Knights Templar’ of the British cinema. Well, the archers of the tradition, actually! It is the highest, most profound honour for me to stand with them and with you. I thank you.’

In this, his 70th year, there’s little sign of the seasoned Scorsese slowing down. Of his upcoming projects – said to include a Frank Sinatra bio-pic – and Japanese historical drama, ‘Silence,’ slated for 2013 - the latest word is that a long-awaited creative collaboration with Robert De Niro could be due. On the future of film-making, Scorsese has commented, ‘whether we like it or not in film-making we have to adapt to a new camera technology – that of high definition. It changes cinematography.’ His progressive ‘mentoring mantra’ to students however, is to harness the new and not to be derivative. He continues to support - and with the National Italian American Foundation, helped launch – the Jack Valenti Institute, which acts to support Italian film students in the US. In addition, Scorsese is the founder and chair of The Film Foundation and the World Cinema Foundation, dedicated to the preservation and protection of motion picture history.

To sum up the lesson that great film has to offer, the BAFTA ceremony concluded with the words: ‘In times of doubt, darkness and fear, films can allow us escape from the hardships and burdens of life and they can shine a light on injustice… Film can reduce us to quivering wrecks with laughter, help us forget and can stun us with truth to help us remember. There is no wrong or right genre or style of film… Let’s all keep lining up for tickets and sitting in the dark. Support your local cinema; live and love film!’ A sentiment notably applauded by the Academy’s newest Fellow, Martin Scorsese.

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Further viewing: Il Mio Viaggio in Italia/My Voyage to ������ý, by Martin Scorsese, (1999). The director passionately explores the development of Italian Neo-realism as traced through the works of Visconti, Rossellini, Vitorio de Sica, Fellini and Antonioni.