Diego Luna To Receive Honorary Heart Of Sarajevo Award
Diego Luna is set to be awarded an Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award at the upcoming Sarajevo Film Festival in recognition of his career and contribution to world cinema.
The Mexican actor-director-producer, whose work spans across film, TV and theater, will touch down at the Bosnian festival to present his latest directorial feature Ashes, which premiered at Cannes earlier this year. Luna will also give a masterclass, sharing his experience and perspectives on contemporary artistic practice with emerging talents, film professionals and festival audiences.
Luna’s international breakout performance was in Alfonso Cuarón’s 2001 title Y tu mama también, a role that established him as one of Mexico’s top screen talents. He went on to collaborate with directors such as Steven Spielberg, David Trueba, Gus Van Sant, Harmony Korine and Agustín Diaz Yanes.
More recently, he starred in and executive produced the Disney+ series Andor, which saw him earn two Golden Globe nominations and two Critics’ Choice Award nominations for his work in both seasons. The series earned eight Emmy nominations for its first season and 14 for its second season, including Outstanding Drama Series. Luna also received two Normal Felton Award nominations alongside his team in the PGA Awards for his work as a producer in Andor.
He recently starred in Netflix’s México 86 on which he also serves as executive producer and will appear in the thriller Eleven Days and Disney’s live-action adaptation of Tangled.
Luna’s further credits include: Bill Condon’s Kiss of the Spider Woman; La Máquina, which he also produced and starred in alongside Gael García Bernal; Netflix’s Narcos: México; Star Wars: Rogue One; and Bread & Circus.
As a director, Luna made his debut with the documentary J.C. Chávez in 2007. His first narrative feature, Abel, earned the Horizontes Latinos Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and a Mexican Academy Award for Best Screenplay, which he co-wrote. He later director Mr. Pig, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Beyond his creative work, Luna is deeply committed to social impact initiatives. In 2005, he co-founded Ambulante, a traveling documentary film festival created to foster cultural exchange. The festival was founded alongside García Bernal, Pablo Cruz, Elena Fortesand El Día Después, a Mexico City-based NGO that connects citizens with longstanding organizations to drive civic engagement and social change.
“A quarter of a century ago, Diego Luna won our hearts with his unforgettable performance in Y Tu Mamá También,” said Jovan Marjanović, Director of the Sarajevo Film Festival. “We hoped then and know now that we were witnessing the emergence of an artist who would never case to explore and surprise, moving seamlessly from major Hollywood productions to intimate human stories that reveal the richness of Latin American culture. Through his exceptional body of work, Diego Luna has left a profound mark on contemporary cinema, and it is our great honor to present him with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo.”
Luna added: “It’s been many years since I’ve wanted to go to Sarajevo. So many colleagues have spoken beautifully about the festival and their personal experience there. I feel honored with the recognition of my work and very excited to share Ashes with the audience.”
The 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from August 14-21, 2026.
