Rebecca Miller used her IndieWire Honors Magnify Award acceptance speech to thank Martin Scorsese for his honesty and fearlessness, and to explain how a planned feature expanded into her five-hour Apple TV documentary series “Mr. Scorsese.”
Rebecca Miller didn’t just step up to accept a trophy at this year’s IndieWire Honors ceremony—she stepped into a story about how a filmmaker’s character can reshape an entire project.
On June 4, at Nya West in Hollywood, Miller won IndieWire’s Magnify Award for her five-part Apple TV documentary series “Mr. Scorsese,” a study she described as a deep dive into the connection between the life and work of Martin Scorsese.
“There’s an old saying that character is destiny,” Miller said during her acceptance speech. “In my case, my character is that I’m really interested in other people’s characters.”
She said the project began with an entirely different plan. Miller initially intended to make a feature-length film about Scorsese, but as she learned more, the shape of her work had to change.
“When I got the opportunity to make a film about Martin Scorsese, I started down this wormhole for five years,” she said. The conversations that followed with Scorsese produced material “so vast and overpowering and so rich that it ended up a five-hour series.”
Miller also made room for the people who helped bring the documentary to life. Like many of the ceremony’s honorees. she pointed to the collaborative nature of filmmaking and thanked partners including editor David Bartner. Apple TV. and producers Damon Cardasis and Cindy Tolan. “These are all people who supported us and really made it possible to make the film,” she said.
In the end, Miller saved her biggest thanks for Scorsese.
“Most of all I want to thank Marty for his immense honesty and his fearlessness,” Miller said. “How honest he is to himself just blew me away. And he allowed me to make the series with real freedom, which is a very rare thing. So on behalf of myself and everyone in this room and many people on this planet. thank you. Marty. for the films.”.
IndieWire Honors on June 4 took place in Los Angeles, alongside an intimate cocktail reception and ceremony. Miller’s full speech is available in the video above, with more editorial and social content from the night planned, including video interviews and outtakes.
Rebecca Miller Martin Scorsese Mr. Scorsese Apple TV IndieWire Honors Magnify Award Nya West David Bartner Damon Cardasis Cindy Tolan