As his latest film The Departed screened at the inaugural Rome FilmFest, Martin Scorsese denied talk that the film would be his last big-budgetproject.

Scorsesesaid that although his next film, the Japanese-themed Silence based on the book by Shusako Endo will have a lowerbudget, he wouldn't rule again directing films on the scale of The Aviator and The Departed, joking that he had a type of addiction.

Rome audiences had an enthusiastic response to The Departed,Scorsese's remake of the 2002 Hong Kong gangster film Infernal Affairs whichhas already been a box-office success in the US.

Scorsese lauded screenwriter William Monahan, saying heselected the project because he had been unable to stop reading the script,which swaps Chinese gangsters for Irish-American ones.

The director was also on hand to talk about an agreementbetween film restoration outfit The Film Foundation and the Rome Film Fest,wherein the festival will help fund the US-based non profit to restore one filmeach year to screen at the festival.

The Film Foundation will take on the restoration of SergioLeone's 1968 classic spaghetti western Once Upon A Time In The West (C'erauna volta al west),the first Italian film to be restored by the foundation.

Scorsese received a standing ovation at both his Romeappearances, and all the Italian journalists addressed him with the titleMaestro, or Master.

Later in the evening, Scorsese and actors Leonardo Di Caprioand Vera Farmiga appeared on the red carpet to wave to throngs of Romans andpaparazzi joined by Italian film industry veterans including Scorsese'slongtime collaborator and Gangs Of New York production designer Dante Ferretti.