Viggo Mortensen to receive Donostia

Star will also bring directorial debut to San Sebastian

by Amber Wilkinson

Falling
Falling Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Insitutet

San Sebastian Film Festival has announced that Viggo Mortensen will receive a Donostia Award in recognition of his career at its 68th edition.

Viggo Mortensen will receive a Donostia for lifetime achievement in San Sebastian
Viggo Mortensen will receive a Donostia for lifetime achievement in San Sebastian Photo: Iñaki Pardo

The star will also present his directorial debut Falling, which premiered as the closing film at this year's Sundance.

The film stars Lance Henriksen and Mortensen, who also wrote the screenplay, as a father and son whose different worlds collide.

In the past 35 years, Mortensen has featured in about 50 films by filmmakers including David Cronenberg, Peter Weir, Jane Campion, Peter Jackson, Gus Van Sant, Brian de Palma, Agustín Díaz Yanes, Ana Piterbarg, Lisandro Alonso, David Oelhoffen, Peter Farrelly and Matt Ross.

Although perhaps best known to mainstream audiences for the role of Aragorn in the Lord Of The Rings franchise, he has also been nominated for an Oscar three times - for Eastern Promises, Captain Fantastic and Green Book.

Born in New York in 1958 to a Danish father and North American mother, Mortensen spent a large part of his childhood in Argentina, which means he speaks fluent Spanish and has also led to roles in Spanish language films including Everybody Has A Plan.

Share this with others on...

Movies out this week include:

Is This Thing On? Nouvelle Vague Primate Rabbit Trap
News

Home truths Marijana Janković on Balkan representation, and the immigrant question of belonging

The division belle Suzannah Herbert on facing the US' troubled history and making Natchez

Spin-off alchemy Claude Schmitz on bringing back cop pairing for Conrad & Crab – Idiotic Gems

Past crime Christoffer Boe on creating a world for his period mystery Special Unit - The First Murder

It Was Just An Accident screenwriter arrested in Iran Jafar Panahi speaks out

Sundance announces winners Josephine, Nuisance Bear, Shame And Money and To Hold A Mountain take top prizes

More news and features

Interact

As we move into 2026, don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon and Bluesky.

With awards season in full flow, you can keep track of the latest news on that here:

César nominations Nouvelle Vague leads the race for France's biggest awards

BAFTA nominations One Battle After Another and Sinners almost neck and neck

Critics' Circle Awards One Battle After Another wins fight

Oscars Sinners dominates the nominations