Festival organisers – who described the Oscar-winning director’s latest film “Killers of the Flower Moon” as one of his greatest achievements – will award Scorsese, 81, an honorary Golden Bear on Feb 20.

With the award, he will join other winners such as Steven Spielberg, Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen and Dustin Hoffman.

“For anyone who considers cinema as the art of shaping a story in such a way that is both completely personal and universal, Martin Scorsese is an unmatched role model,” said festival director duo Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian.

Scorsese, who established himself as one of the core filmmakers of the New Hollywood era with 1976’s “Taxi Driver”, won his first Oscar in 2007 for “The Departed” after being nominated seven times for the film industry’s top honour.

“Killers of the Flower Moon”, about the murders of American Indians in Oklahoma in the 1920s, is a favourite for a best picture Oscar nomination and already is a Golden Globe nominee.

Other well-known films by New York City-born Scorsese include “Gangs of New York”, “Goodfellas” and “Raging Bull”.