CLINT EASTWOOD - EASTWOOD: 'THIS YEAR COULD BE SCORSESE'S YEAR'

EASTWOOD: 'THIS YEAR COULD BE SCORSESE'S YEAR'

CLINT EASTWOOD is tipping MARTIN SCORSESE to fulfil his Academy Award ambitions this year (07) and beat him to the Best Director prize. Eastwood is up against Scorsese for the award, two years after his MILLION DOLLAR BABY beat Scorsese's THE AVIATOR. The movie hardman thinks Scorsese, nominated for THE DEPARTED, leads the race, ahead of Eastwood's LETTER'S FROM IWO JIMA - but warns other directors could get in on the act. He says, "He (Scorsese) probably has a good chance, there is a lot of sympathy for him, but I have no control over any of that. "I always feel sorry ... for the others, because there are other nominees and they've worked very hard on their projects, too. I don't think any two people should be singled out." Scorsese has been nominated seven times and has yet to win a Best Director Oscar.