Sarajevo Film Festival to honour Diego Luna and Asghar Farhadi

Director Diego Luna poses during a photocall for the the film "Ashes" (A Mouthful of Ash - Ceniza en la Boca) as part of Special Screenings at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 13, 2026. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

SARAJEVO, July 29, Saudi Arabia Breaking News — The Sarajevo Film Festival will honour Mexican actor, director and producer Diego Luna and Iranian Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi during its 32nd edition, which begins on August 14.

Luna will receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo in recognition of his contribution to contemporary cinema.

“Through his exceptional body of work, Diego Luna has left a profound mark on contemporary cinema, and it is our great honour to present him with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo,” festival director Jovan Marjanović said in a statement.

The festival said Luna’s work across film, television and theatre had been recognised for its creative range, social awareness and commitment to expanding Latino and Hispanic representation internationally.

Luna received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for the Disney+ series “Andor,” in which he starred and served as an executive producer.

He will present “Ashes,” his latest film as a director, which premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. He will also lead a masterclass during the Sarajevo event.

Director Asghar Farhadi attends a press conference for the film "Histoires paralleles" (Parallel Tales) in competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 15, 2026. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

The festival will also honour Farhadi, whose international accolades include two Academy Awards, the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and the best screenplay award at Cannes.

Farhadi chaired the Sarajevo festival’s feature film competition jury in 2018. A retrospective of his work will be presented this year as part of the festival’s Tribute to programme.

British actress Emily Watson will chair the feature film jury at this year’s edition.

The festival will open with “Fatherland,” the latest film by Oscar-winning Polish director Paweł Pawlikowski and the concluding instalment in his Cold War trilogy.

“It seems like the film suits Sarajevo Film Festival because it’s steeped in history and in conflict, in situations which are still within living memory in Bosnia,” Pawlikowski said. “It feels like a good context to show the film.”

The Sarajevo Film Festival was established by a group of film enthusiasts during the final stages of Bosnia’s 1992-1995 war, Reuters reported.