Emily Watson to head the jury at the 32nd SFF and receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo

In addition to deciding on the award winners together with her fellow jurors, the actress will also receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the festival, in recognition of her immense contribution to world cinema.

“Twenty years after her last visit to Sarajevo, we are truly delighted to welcome Emily Watson back to the festival - this time not only as the recipient of the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo, but also as President of the Competition Jury. An actress whose talent, intelligence and dedication to the craft have left a profound mark on contemporary cinema, Emily Watson has, throughout her remarkable career, moved audiences and critics alike with performances of extraordinary emotional precision and strength. I believe the filmmakers in this year’s program will be just as excited as we are to know that she will be watching their work in Sarajevo. She has long had a special place in the hearts of our festival audience, so honouring her with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo feels both natural and deeply deserved,” said Jovan Marjanovic, Director of the Sarajevo Film Festival.

A two-time Academy Award® nominee, Emily Watson unquestionably belongs among the world’s finest actors, a distinction further acknowledged in 2015 when she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for Services to Drama.

Most recently, she starred as ‘Mary Shakespeare’ in Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning historical novel “Hamnet”. The film was widely praised by critics and audiences alike for its sensitive portrayal of profound grief and family. The film went on to win the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film and the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama, as well as the People’s Choice Award at TIFF and the Audience Award – Best Feature Film at BFI London Film Festival.

On television, Emily starred as the lead, opposite Olivia Williams and Mark Strong, in the HBO Max series “Dune: Prophecy” and has just finished shooting the second season.

Her notable film credits include Lars von Trier’s “Breaking the Waves”, A24’s “God’s Creatures” opposite Paul Mescal, “Small Things Like These” alongside Cillian Murphy, for which she was awarded the prestigious Silver Bear for Best Supporting Actress at the Berlinale, Netflix drama “Steve”, A24 fantasy epic “The Legend Of Ochi”, opposite Willem Dafoe, Finn Wolfhard and Helena Zengel, Richard Eyre’s BBC production of “King Lear”, “On Chesil Beach”, “Hilary and Jackie”, “Gosford Park”, “Punch-Drunk Love”, “Red Dragon”, “War Horse”, “The Book Thief”, “Testament Of Youth”, “Everest”, Multiple Award-Winning “The Theory Of Everything”, “Molly Moon”, “Anna Karenina”, “Belle”, “Some Girl(s)”, “Cemetery Junction”, “Miss Potter”, “The Water Horse”, “The Corpse Bride”, “Angela’s Ashes”, “The Boxer”, and “Metroland”.

Emily’s television credits include “Chernobyl” alongside Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgård, “The Dresser”, “Apple Tree Yard”, ITV mini-series “Too Close”, HBO’s interactive drama “The Third Day” opposite Jude Law and Naomie Harris, the BBC/PBS adaptation of “Little Women” and the Emmy-nominated drama series “Genius”.

Emily’s theater credits are extensive, including many productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2002, she received critical acclaim for her starring roles in “Uncle Vanya” and “Twelfth Night” at the Donmar Warehouse. The shows ran concurrently and were both directed by Sam Mendes.

Last year, Emily was awarded the prestigious Richard Harris Award at the 2025 BIFAs, which recognised her outstanding contribution to British film. Other accolades include the Joseph Plateau Honorary Award at Gent Film Festival (2024), the Lifetime Achievement Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival (2015) and the Best Actress BAFTA award (2011) for her role in “Appropriate Adult”.

Emily’s breakout role in Lars von Trier’s “Breaking the Waves” earned her the European Film Award for Actress of the Year, the Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer, the London Film Critics' Award for Best British Newcomer of the Year, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association's New Generation Award and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress. She also received Best Actress award nominations for the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTA Film Awards for this role.

Additionally, Emily received both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and universal critical acclaim for her work in the HBO/Sky mini-series “Chernobyl” in 2019.

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