John Turturro , one of this year’s recipients of an honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award for career achievement took time between his sold-out masterclass and presenting an open-air screening of “Barton Fink” to visit the Variety Lounge, presented by the Sarajevo Film Festival and BH Telecom.

Turturro, who mentioned this was his inaugural visit to the Bosnian capital, spoke about his visits to various mosques, the Jewish Museum, Grand Synagogue and Jewish cemetery, alongside other historical landmarks.

Turturro, who acted in two of the fall film festival’s most hotly anticipated titles, discussed playing the ex-boyfriend of Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in Pedro Almodóvar ’s upcoming English-language feature, “The Room Next Door.” He will be going to Toronto to support that film and Sean Ellis’s “The Cut.”

Turturro highlighted the benefits of having a long-standing relationship with a filmmaker, stating, “It’s a significant advantage because it fosters a high level of trust between both parties.” He also expressed admiration for the late Italian filmmaker Francesco Rosi, for whom he played Primo Levi in “The Truce.”

Turturro, a writer-director himself, explained that his acting experiences with other directors significantly shaped his approach to filmmaking. He discussed his work directing "Mac" and "Romance & Cigarettes", and offered insights into the factors that guide his choice of roles.

Turturro also shared stories about his roles in “Transformers” and “The Batman” and spoke about some of his long-running television roles. When asked about his upcoming projects, Turturro mentioned, “I have a few things in the works. It all depends on finding the right cast and securing enough funding to ensure we don't have to rush the production.”