Jude Law paid tribute to Anthony Minghella during a weekend festival of the Oscar-winning director's seven films on the Isle Of Wight.
Law and other figures from the UK film industry remembered Minghella, who died last year, at a press conference at Medina High School on the Island where the English Patient director grew up.
Law, who Minghella considered to be a "family friend", said: "I always came out of a film having learnt something. With Anthony by your side you often felt you were learning something that was a lot more than just the surface value of what this film might mean or what the character might mean.
"You often felt you had met some new people or learnt how to overcome something because it felt like a very personal experience.
"It ran a lot deeper than the parts just rubbing off or the experience of making yet another movie."
Aside from the aforementioned multi-Oscar winner, Minghella's films include Truly, Madly, Deeply, Cold Mountain, The Talented Mr Ripley and most recently The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency.