Martin Scorsese Honored With D.C. Humanities Lecture

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Filmmaker Martin Scorsese is being honored by one of Washington's cultural institutions.

On Monday night, the Academy Award winning film director delivered the 2013 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities for the National Endowment for the Humanities. He spoke at the Kennedy Center.

Scorsese is the first filmmaker to deliver the Jefferson Lecture. It is considered the federal government's most prestigious honor for intellectual achievement in the humanities. Past speakers include John Updike, Barbara Tuchman and Arthur Miller.

Scorsese has produced or directed about 50 films, including "Mean Streets," "Goodfellas" and "The Departed." He is also a champion of film preservation and education.

In 2007, Scorsese was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors.

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