In recognition of her outstanding contribution to the Art of Film, Scottish director, screenwriter and producer Lynne Ramsay will receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award at the 29th Sarajevo Film Festival, which officially opens this weekend.

The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award will be handed over to Ramsay on August 16th at the Coca-Cola Open Air Cinema, followed by a gala screening of YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE starring Joaquin Phoenix.

Based on the book by Jonathan Ames, YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, where it won the awards for Best Screenplay (ex-aequo) and Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix).

Born in Glasgow, Lynne Ramsay is considered one of the most original and exciting voices working in independent cinema today. She has a long-running relationship with the Cannes Film Festival, where she won the Prix de Jury in 1996 for her short graduation film, SMALLS AND DEATH, and for her third short, GASMAN, in 1998. RATCATCHER, her debut feature film, had its premiere in Un Certain Regard, winning a Special Mention.

Her next feature film MORVERN CALLAR premiered at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight section, where it was awarded the Award of the Youth for Best Foreign Film.

Ramsay's third feature film WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN was the only British film nominated for the Palme d'Or in Official Competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Tilda Swinton was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the film, which also went on to receive several BAFTA nominations and won Best Director at the British Independent Film Awards, Best Film at the London Film Festival, and Best Screenplay from the Writers Guild of Great Britain.

Ramsey recently directed the 18th contribution to Miu Miu’s WOMEN’S TALES Series, a sensitive and cathartic short documentary BRIGITTE about French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, which premiered at Venice Film Festival in 2019.

The 29th Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from August 11th to 18th, 2023.