Meg Ryan Honored for Achievement at Sarajevo Film Festival

SARAJEVO (Reuters) – Hollywood actor, film director, and producer Meg Ryan received the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the Sarajevo Film Festival late on Tuesday. This award acknowledges her significant contributions to the film industry.

Ryan joined the ranks of other distinguished honorees, including US and Palestinian film directors Alexander Payne and Elia Suleiman, and US actor and producer John Turturro.

“It’s an award in recognition of outstanding contribution to the world of cinema, to her incredible talents,” said festival director Jovan Marjanović, who presented Ryan with the silver heart-shaped award.

To celebrate the occasion, Ryan introduced a special screening of her 1998 romantic comedy hit “You’ve Got Mail” at an open-air cinema. This venue holds nostalgic significance as it was where the film was first screened at the festival in 1999.

In an engaging masterclass moderated by Oscar-winning Bosnian film director Danis Tanovic, Ryan shared insights into her career and her latest project “What Happens Later.” This film, her second feature, was directed, written, and co-starred by Ryan alongside David Duchovny, and was also showcased at the festival.

Ryan revealed that her entry into the acting world was a means to fund her journalism studies. She described herself as an “untrained actress.”

“I had a beginner’s mind, which I see now as a very valuable thing. There is a certain naivety, innocence that is important when you are an artist,” Ryan explained during the session.

The Sarajevo Film Festival, which spans from Vienna to Istanbul, was founded by a group of film enthusiasts towards the end of the Bosnian war three decades ago. The festival will feature a total of 240 films this year.

Source: Reuters