Woody Harrelson will be awarded the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival in recognition of his “outstanding contribution to the film industry and an exceptional acting career,” the festival said Monday.
The news follows announcements over the weekend that the festival would close with a newly restored version of Bosnian director Danis Tanović Oscar-winning film “No Man’s Land,” 25 years after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, and that Bosnian actor Emir Hadžihafizbegović would also receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo.
Jovan Marjanović, director of the festival, said Harrelson is “one of those actors you believe in even in the most improbable roles, while at the same time you can easily imagine him as someone you might spend time with every day.”
He added, “That remarkable ease of performance is, in fact, one of the hardest qualities to achieve on screen, yet he delivers it film after film. His talent, charisma and boldness serve as an inspiration to many future generations.”
Illustrating Harrelson’s versatility and prowess as an actor, the festival cited his Oscar nominations for “The People vs. Larry Flynt,” “The Messenger” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” and his performance in Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness.”
To coincide with the award, the festival will screen Michael Winterbottom’s 1997 film “Welcome to Sarajevo.” The festival described the film as a “powerful examination of the war in Bosnia in the mid-1990s and the role of journalists in its media coverage.” It is based on journalist Michael Nicholson’s book “Natasha’s Story.” Harrelson stars alongside Stephen Dillane and Marisa Tomei.
Harrelson will be seen next in Apple TV’s “Brothers” alongside Matthew McConaughey, which premieres Sept. 23, and also appears opposite Kristen Stewart in Quentin Dupieux’s “Full Phil,” which premiered at Cannes this year. He recently wrapped Netflix’s “The Cackling of the Dodos” with Sam Rockwell.
The festival will run Aug. 14 to 21.
