Diego Luna, the Mexican actor, director, and producer, is set to receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the 32nd edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival.
The Sarajevo Film Festival will also present his latest directorial feature, Ashes, which premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Additionally, Luna will host a masterclass about his experiences and perspectives on contemporary artistic practice.
His breakout performance in Alfonso Cuarón’s Y tu mamá también (2001) catapulted him into the international spotlight and established him as one of Mexico’s most compelling screen talents. Since then, he has worked on several projects across Mexico, Spain, the United States, England, and Germany, working with renowned directors such as Steven Spielberg, David Trueba, Gus Van Sant, Harmony Korine, and Agustín Díaz Yanes.
“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!” Luna said.
Luna’s most recent work is with the Disney+ series, Andor (2022), which he starred in and executive-produced. He earned two Golden Globe nominations and two Critics’ Choice Award nominations for Best Actor for his work in both seasons. Meanwhile, the series received eight Emmy Award nominations for its first season and fourteen for its second season, along with the Outstanding Drama Series. Luna also received two Normal Felton Award nominations in 2023 and 2026 alongside the team in the PGA’s Awards for his work as a producer in Andor.
In 2025, he starred alongside Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh in Bill Condon’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, and in 2024 he starred in and produced the Hulu original La Máquina, where he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
His earlier works include Netflix’s Narcos: México (2018), wherein he received a Critics’ Choice Award nomination, Star Wars: Rogue One (2016), a role that introduced him to a wider English-speaking audience, and Bread & Circus (2020), which earned two Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Daytime Talent in a Spanish Language Program and Best Entertainment Program in Spanish.
Luna’s directorial debut was for the 2007 documentary J.C. Chávez, and he later released his first narrative feature, Abel, in 2010, which won the Horizontes Latinos Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and a Mexican Academy Award for Best Screenplay, which he co-wrote. He also directed Mr. Pig (2016), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Recently, he starred in and executive-produced the Netflix show México 86. He is set to appear in the Eleven Days, a thriller, as well as Disney’s live-action adaptation of Tangled.
Jovan Marjanović, Director of the Sarajevo Film Festival, said: “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 honor to present him with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo.”
Aside from his creative work, Luna is dedicated to social impact initiatives. In 2005, he co-founded Ambulante, a traveling documentary film festival created to encourage cultural exchange. The festival was founded with García Bernal, Pablo Cruz, Elena Fortes, and El Día Después, a Mexico City-based NGO that helps connect citizens with organizations to drive civic engagement and social change.
The 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from August 14 to 21, 2026. Previous recipients of the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo include Willem Dafoe, Stellan Skarsgård, Ray Winstone, and Paolo Sorrentino.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.