Martin Scorsese honoured by Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Director Martin Scorsese was honoured at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) on Saturday (02Nov13) as a host of stars helped to raise $4.1 million (£2.7 million) for the institution’s film programme. The Taxi Driver filmmaker was the guest of honour at the benefit gala, which was attended by celebrities such as Warren Beatty, Tom Hanks and Jane Fonda, as he was recognised for helping to save the museum’s programme during the U.S. financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 and for his work on film restoration, according to Reuters.
LACMA chief executive Michael Govan said, “Marty was very vocal when we announced that we were pausing our film programme a few years ago during the economic meltdown. When he learned that we really wanted to rebuild and expand our program, he was the first person who offered to help.”
Leonardo DiCaprio was on hand to pay tribute to his longtime collaborator, adding, “Spending time with Marty is like stepping into a world class film museum. And when you work on a film with Martin Scorsese, you have the privilege of being part of that history.”
Meanwhile, British artist David Hockney was also feted for his museum contributions, which consists of various works of iconic Southern California images.
Previous honourees include late moviemaker Stanley Kubrick and Clint Eastwood.
British rocker Sting served as the night’s entertainment.