Diego Luna to Receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival

Luna is a Mexican actor, director and producer whose work across film, television and theatre bridges across global audiences. Guided by his artistic prowess in front of and behind the camera, Luna has built a career defined by creative range, social consciousness and a sustained commitment to expanding Latino and Hispanic representation on international stages.

The 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival will also present Ashes, his latest directorial feature, which premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Luna will also give a masterclass, sharing his experience and perspectives on contemporary artistic practice with emerging talents, film professionals, and Festival audiences.

“A quarter of a century ago, Diego Luna won our hearts with his unforgettable performance in Y Tu Mamá También. We hoped then and know now that we were witnessing the emergence of an artist who would never cease 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 honour to present him with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo,” said Jovan Marjanović, Director of the Sarajevo Film Festival.

“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. See you soon!” stated Luna.

Luna first captured international attention with his breakout performance in Alfonso Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también (2001), a role that established him as one of Mexico’s most compelling screen talents. This led to further collaborations across Mexico, Spain, the United States, England and Germany, working with directors such as Steven Spielberg, David Trueba, Gus Van Sant, Harmony Korine and Agustín Díaz Yanes.

Most recently, he starred in and executive-produced the Disney+ series Andor (2022), earning two Golden Globe® nomination and two Critics' Choice Award nominations for Best Actor for his work in both seasons. The series received widespread critical acclaim, including eight Emmy® Award nominations for its first season and fourteen for its second season in 2025, including Outstanding Drama Series. He also received two Normal Felton Award nominations (2023 and 2026) alongside the team in the PGA’s Awards for his work as a producer in Andor.

In 2025, he starred opposite Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh in Bill Condon’s Kiss of the Spider Woman and was nominated for a Golden Globe® Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Hulu’s La Máquina (2024), which he also produced and starred in alongside Gael García Bernal.

Earlier credits include the Netflix series Narcos: México (2018), which earned him a Critics' Choice Award nomination, Star Wars: Rogue One (2016), a role that introduced him to an even wider English-speaking audience, and Bread & Circus (2020), which won two Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Daytime Talent in a Spanish Language Program and Best Entertainment Program in Spanish.

As a director, Luna made his debut with the documentary J.C. Chávez (2007). His first narrative feature, Abel (2010), 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 directed Mr. Pig (2016), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

He recently stared in Netflix’s México 86 on which he also serves as executive producer and will next appear in the thriller Eleven Days and Disney’s live-action adaption of Tangled.

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.

The 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from 14 to 21 August 2026.

Previous recipients of the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo:

Asghar Farhadi (2026), Emily Watson (2026), Willem Dafoe (2025), Stellan Skarsgård (2025), Ray Winstone (2025), Paolo Sorrentino (2025), Meg Ryan (2024), Alexander Payne (2024), John Turturro (2024), Philippe Bober (2024), Christof Papousek (2024), Mark Cousins (2023), Lynne Ramsay (2023), Charlie Kaufman (2023), Jesse Eisenberg (2022), Ruben Östlund (2022), Sergei Loznitsa (2022), Paul Joseph Schrader (2022), Wim Wenders (2021), Michel Franco (2020), Mads Mikkelsen (2020), Tim Roth (2019), Isabelle Huppert (2019), Alejandro González Iñárritu (2019), Paweł Pawlikowski (2019), Nijaz Hastor (2018), Nuri Bilge Ceylan (2018), Oliver Stone (2017), John Cleese (2017), Wolfgang Amadeus Brülhart (2016), Stephen Frears (2016), Robert De Niro (Lifetime Achievement Award, 2016), Benicio Del Toro (2015), Atom Egoyan (2015), Agnès B. (2014), Danis Tanović (2014), Gael García Bernal (2014), Béla Tarr (2013), Roberto Olla (2013), Branko Lustig (2012), Emil Tedeschi (2011), Jafar Panahi (2011), Angelina Jolie (2011), Dieter Kosslick (2010), Manfred Schmidt (2009), Cat Villiers (2008), Steve Buscemi (2007), Mike Leigh (2006), Gavrilo Grahovac (2006) and Marco Müller (2005).