Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese was born on 17 November 1942 in Queens, New York. In 1964, he completed a bachelor’s degree in film communications, and in 1966, he obtained a master’s degree in film from New York University. It was at this time that he discovered that EXPRMNTL and Gevaert had formed a partnership to distribute free film stock to selected directors who wished to take part in the festival. His short film project The Big Shave (1967) was one of those chosen; it was screened in Knokke in 1967 and won the Prix de l’Âge d’or. From that moment on, his career took off.

Often regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his career spans decades and a wide range of styles. From gangster classics such as The Goodfellas (1990) and The Departed (2006) to children’s and young adult films such as Hugo (2011), his mastery of the cinematic language is unquestionable. Scorsese is also a great advocate for film preservation, a cause he became interested in partly due to his friendship with Jacques Ledoux. His Film Foundation has contributed to the restoration of over 1,100 films to date.