When Naomi Watts filmed the now-iconic audition scene in Mulholland Drive in the winter of 1999, she was a relative unknown. The crew, including director David Lynch, broke into spontaneous applause after the take. Lynch, who died in January, had cast her in the dreamlike neo-noir that would become a touchstone of early 21st-century cinema. More than two decades later, Watts is being recognised for a career that has spanned cult films, mainstream blockbusters and television dramas.
The San Sebastián International Film Festival, known as Zinemaldia, announced on Tuesday that Watts will receive its Donostia Award at the 2026 edition. The festival described her as “one of the most talented and recognisable actresses of her generation.” She will be honoured at a gala on 19 September, followed by the screening of La esposa perfecta, directed by Ben Shirinian. The film follows a young New York Times journalist who uncovers a possible Nazi officer living in Queens and befriends the suspect's wife.
A career between art-house and mainstream
Watts, born in England and raised partly in Australia, has moved fluidly between independent cinema and studio productions. Her early roles in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive and Gore Verbinski's The Ring established her as a versatile performer. She later earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for 21 Grams (2003) and The Impossible (2012), the latter directed by Spanish filmmaker Juan Antonio Bayona. Her television work includes Ryan Murphy's Feud, for which she received an Emmy nomination.
Beyond Lynch and Bayona, Watts has collaborated with a roster of European and international directors: Alejandro González Iñárritu (both 21 Grams and Birdman), Michael Haneke, Woody Allen and Noah Baumbach. Her ability to shift between arthouse dramas and big-budget productions has made her a familiar face at festivals across Europe, from Cannes to Venice.
The Donostia Award is the festival's highest honour, previously given to figures such as Gregory Peck, Bette Davis, Lauren Bacall, Francis Ford Coppola, Agnès Varda, Catherine Deneuve and Pedro Almodóvar. This year, the festival had already announced that German director Werner Herzog would receive the first Donostia Award. Watts joins him as the second honouree.
San Sebastián, held each September in the Basque Country, has long been a meeting point for European and international cinema. The festival's 2026 edition will also feature the return of Brad Pitt, who is presenting a survival thriller after a 17-year absence. For Watts, the award adds to a list of accolades that includes two Oscar nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and one BAFTA, Goya and Emmy nomination each.
Watts's recognition in San Sebastián underscores the festival's role in celebrating actors who bridge the gap between popular and auteur cinema. Her performance in Mulholland Drive remains a defining moment, and the applause from that 1999 set was a sign of things to come.
As the festival prepares for its 2026 edition, the Donostia Awards will be a highlight, with Watts and Herzog representing two very different but equally influential strands of filmmaking. For Watts, the honour is a homecoming of sorts: she has been a regular at European festivals, and her work with European directors has been central to her career.
The San Sebastián festival continues to be a key event in the European cultural calendar, drawing attention to both established and emerging talent. With Watts and Herzog receiving its top honour, the 2026 edition promises to be a celebration of cinematic excellence.
