Oscar-winning film maker Sir Alan Parker received an honorary degree today for his outstanding contribution to the arts.
Sir Alan, who directed such classics as Midnight Express, Mississippi Burning, The Commitments and Fame, received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts (HonDArt) from Sunderland University's chancellor, film producer Lord Puttnam.
Sir Alan, 61, has been at the pinnacle of his profession for more than 30 years.
He received eight British Academy Award nominations - winning five for one of his early films Bugsy Malone, which he wrote and directed in 1975.
Two years later his controversial and compelling film Midnight Express picked up two Oscars from six nominations. The musical Fame followed in 1979, winning two Oscars and four Golden Globe nominations.
His career went from strength to strength with films such as Birdy, which won the Grand Prix Special du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival and, in 1988, Mississippi Burning, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Director.
Sir Alan's work has always been hugely popular with cinemagoers, as well as winning critical acclaim.
