Mardik Martin -- the legendary screenwriter on Martin Scorsese's seminal films Mean Streets (1973) and Raging Bull (1980) starring Robert De Niro -- will receive the 2012 Parajanov-Vartanov Institute Award, named after the late persecuted filmmakers Sergei Paradjanov (1924-1990) and Mikhail Vartanov (1937-2009). The award will be presented at the Beverly Hills Film Festival's closing awards ceremony on April 29, 2012 at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Mardik Martin is in the elite group of screenwriters on WGA's 101 Greatest Screenplays list, and a renowned professor at USC School of Cinematic Arts. After earning his Master's degree from New York University (NYU) and teaching there from from 1968 to 1973, he collaborated with his classmate Martin Scorsese on Mean Streets (1973), Italianamerican (1974), New York, New York (1977), The Last Waltz (1978) and the Raging Bull (1980), which was voted as one of the 100 Greatest American Movies by the American Film Institute.

Parajanov-Vartanov Institute studies, preserves and promotes the artistic legacies of brothers-in-arts Sergei Parajanov (1924-1990) and Mikhail Vartanov (1937-2009) who were admired by some of the most important figures in cinema, literature and art.

Sergei Parajanov (1924-1990) created such masterpieces at the Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964) and the Color of Pomegranates (1968), which are widely regarded as some of the greatest motion pictures of all time, and were praised by Fellini, Antonioni, Godard, Bertolucci and Tarkovsky for the unique cinematic language.

Mikhail Vartanov (1937-2009) developed a method of documentary filmmaking termed the 'direction of undirected action' and his work as a documentarian, cinematographer and essayist became revered through such timeless films as Color of Land (1969), Seasons (1975), The Last Spring (1992) and the Unmailed Letters essays.

Parajanov-Vartanov Institute Award -- which is presented annually to underrated artists -- last year honored French film icon Jean Vigo (1905-1934) and was presented by Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight to Vigo's daughter and film critic Luce Vigo. Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese sent a letter for the occasion of the institute's Jean Vigo retrospective with words on Vigo, Paradjanov and Vartanov.

Media inquiries and more info: http://institute.parajanov.com

.