Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio has paid tribute to his long-time collaborator and mentor Martin Scorsese following the May 20 premiere of their Western crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon at the Cannes Film Festival in Southern France.

“Martin has been able to define himself as the singular director of our time,” said DiCaprio during a press conference about the film, based on the 2017 book of the same name by David Grann.

Talking about the director’s artistic partnership with actor Robert De Niro, who also plays a pivotal role in the film (his 11th collaboration with Scorsese), DiCaprio said, “The incredibly high levels of artistry that they have been able to accomplish together and that relationship not only changed me, it was the template for me. It influenced the entire generation of actors that I grew up with and is just unparalleled.”

The official Instagram handle of the Cannes Film Festival shared a short clip from the press conference. “With these words, Leonardo DiCaprio pays tribute to the director of Taxi Driver, Palme d'Or in 1976, Martin Scorsese. He signs his return to the Festival de Cannes with Killers of The Flower Moon, surrounded by his two favorite actors, Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio,” the caption read.

Killers of the Flower Moon is based on a series of killings committed in the Osage Nation during the 1920s after oil was discovered on tribal Land. The film also stars Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser and John Lithgow. It premiered at Cannes on May 20 and received a warm reception from the audience and critics.

Watch the full video here:

DiCaprio has worked with Scorsese in seven films so far. Their first collaboration was 2002’s epic historical drama Gangs of New York. He starred in five more feature films and a short film helmed by the veteran filmmaker.

Killers of the Flower Moon is slated to release in select theatres on October 6, before a release in the United States on October 20. The film will later be available to stream on Apple TV+.