Ph: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin R. Pacheco · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Honorary Heart of Sarajevo No. 32 2026
Sarajevo Honorary Heart — Woody Harrelson (2026)
The American actor who starred in Welcome to Sarajevo came back to the city to collect the Heart — at the 32nd edition, with a Welcome to Sarajevo screening and a masterclass.
- Recipient
- Woody Harrelson
- Awarded
- 2026 · 32nd edition
- Role
- Actor, screenwriter, director and playwright
- From
- American
- For
- For his exceptional contribution to the art of cinema and an outstanding acting career.
Woody Harrelson received the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival (14–21 August 2026). He is the American actor of Natural Born Killers (1994), No Country for Old Men (2007), Zombieland (2009), and Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or-winning Triangle of Sadness (2022), three times nominated for the Oscar for The People vs. Larry Flynt (best actor), The Messenger, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (best supporting).
The 32nd edition screened Michael Winterbottom’s Welcome to Sarajevo (1997) in the Open Air programme alongside the award. Harrelson plays one of the lead roles in the film, a story of war journalists in mid-90s Bosnia based on Michael Nicholson’s Natasha’s Story. The film premiered at Cannes in 1997 and at the 3rd Sarajevo Film Festival the same year. The man who once starred in the city’s war story came back to collect its heart.
Festival director Jovan Marjanović called him one of those actors you believe even in the most improbable roles, and noted that his ease on camera is the hardest thing to achieve.
Harrelson also gave a masterclass at the festival that included a penalty-shootout demonstration, an Elvis impersonation, and a bottle of Bushmills Irish whiskey. He reflected on turning down the lead role in Jerry Maguire (the part went to Tom Cruise) and paid tribute to Rob Reiner: “I just love working with Rob Reiner. I think he was absolutely brilliant” (per The Hollywood Reporter, August 2026).
Beyond the award: he wrote, directed and starred in Lost in London (2017), the first feature shot in a single continuous take and broadcast live to cinemas; he won an Emmy for Cheers; his television work includes True Detective and The White House Plumbers; and he has acted on Broadway and the London stage.
Also honoured in 2026
- Asghar Farhadi Film director and screenwriter
- Diego Luna Actor, director and producer
- Emily Watson Actress
- Emir Hadžihafizbegović Actor
Sources & further reading
- SFF — Woody Harrelson Receives Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award at the 32nd SFF (official, August 2026)
- The Hollywood Reporter — Woody Harrelson Pays Tribute to 'Brilliant' Rob Reiner at Lively Sarajevo Masterclass (August 2026)
- Variety — Woody Harrelson to Be Honored at Sarajevo Film Festival (August 2026)
- Deadline — Sarajevo To Honor Woody Harrelson, Anniversary of No Man's Land (August 2026)
- Heart of Sarajevo — Wikipedia (Honorary Heart section)