HOLLYWOOD, Calif., April 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Akira Kurosawa – I have learned more from him than almost any filmmaker on the face of this Earth," said Steven Spielberg during a special video tribute to the late acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa on what would have been his 100th birthday.  The tribute, which also featured Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Oliver Stone and Richard Gere, was organized by the Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Film and held during the Green Planet Movie Awards in Los Angeles at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel on March 23, 2010.

The ground-breaking masterpieces of filmmaker, film producer and screenwriter Akira Kurosawa (March 23, 1910 - Sept 6, 1998) have inspired such classic movies as Star Wars, The Magnificent Seven, and A Fistful of Dollars.  Known as the filmmaker who introduced the west to Japanese cinema, Kurosawa was presented with an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement by Lucas and Spielberg in 1989.

Following an afternoon screening of the classic Seven Samurai, the evening video tribute featured Anaheim University's exclusive never-seen-before footage of Akira Kurosawa directing Ran on location, while Hollywood's top filmmakers shared their respect for Kurosawa. Scorsese, who acted as Van Gogh in Kurosawa's "Dreams" said, "Let me put it simply.  Kurosawa was my master... Akira Kurosawa taught us so much and gave us so much, and I congratulate the Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Film for paying tribute to a man who was our master, our sensei."  Richard Gere, who starred in Kurosawa's Rhapsody in August called Akira "one of the greatest artists of the 20th century," while Oliver Stone expressed his sentiments with "I wish Mr. Kurosawa could be here to feel the love and appreciation for his work.  I wish he were."  

Original samurai armor used in Kurosawa's film Ran was on display, which served as a fitting backdrop for photos of "The Last Samurai" actor Hiroyuki Sanada during the pre-event cocktail party.  Sanada was honored as one of the "10 Outstanding Asians in Hollywood" and "10 Best International Actors of the Decade," Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg were three of the award recipients of the "10 Best Filmmakers of the Decade."

The video tribute has been archived on the Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Film's website at http://www.anaheim.edu

SOURCE Green Planet Movie Awards

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