Martin Scorsese won his first Academy Award for Best Director in 2007. He received the award at the 79th Academy Awards for directing The Departed, which was released in 2006.
The win marked a major career milestone for one of American cinema’s most influential directors. Scorsese had previously received Best Director nominations for Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, and The Aviator, but had not won.
The Departed is a crime thriller set mainly in Boston. It follows an undercover police officer inside an Irish mob and a mob informant inside the Massachusetts State Police. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg.
A common mix-up is the year: The Departed premiered and competed for awards after its 2006 release, but the Oscar ceremony took place in 2007. The film also won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.