Sarajevo Film Festival: Honorary Heart of Sarajevo and “Tribute To” programme dedicated to Paolo Sorrentino

The Festival will celebrate Sorrentino’s remarkable contribution to world cinema, awarding him its highest honour. Alongside the screening of his complete filmography, the Oscar-winning director will also lead a Masterclass and participate in a public conversation on contemporary cinema.

"I am deeply honoured to receive this prestigious recognition and grateful for the attention given to my body of work. I look forward to joining you in Sarajevo. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," said Sorrentino.

Festival Director Jovan Marjanovic praised the director’s legacy, stating:

“Paolo Sorrentino has achieved what every filmmaker aspires to — he has left a global mark through deeply personal, local stories. His visually sumptuous, emotionally resonant, and intellectually rich style has touched audiences worldwide. His characters — no matter how eccentric or introspective — reflect the absurdity, cruelty, and profound humanity of our world. The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo celebrates the great beauty he has given us through cinema.”

Born in Naples in 1970, Paolo Sorrentino made his feature debut in 2001 with One Man Up, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. He quickly rose to international acclaim with The Consequences of Love (2004) and The Family Friend (2006), both of which competed for the Palme d’Or at Cannes. In 2008, his film Il Divo won the Jury Prize at Cannes.

He returned to Cannes with This Must Be the Place (2011) and achieved global recognition with The Great Beauty (2013), which won the Academy Award®, Golden Globe, and BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film, along with three European Film Awards (EFAs).

Sorrentino’s Youth (2015) also competed at Cannes and earned three EFAs, an Oscar nomination, and two Golden Globe nods. In 2016, he created and directed the acclaimed series The Young Pope, which received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations. He followed up with Loro (2018) and The New Pope (2019), featuring Jude Law and John Malkovich.

In 2021, his autobiographical film The Hand of God earned an Academy Award® nomination, won the Grand Jury Prize (Leone d'Argento) and the Marcello Mastroianni Award at Venice, and took home five David di Donatello and four Nastri d’Argento awards.

His latest work, Parthenope (2024), premiered in competition at Cannes and won the Biglietto d’Oro, marking it as one of the year’s most-watched films in Italy.

The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo was established in 2005 to recognise individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to the global film industry and have supported the development of both the Sarajevo Film Festival and regional cinema.