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The 31st European Film Festival Palić ceremonially closed

27.07.2024.

The 31st European Film Festival Palić closed on Friday, July 26, at the Summer Stage in Palić, with a solemn ceremony of presenting festival awards to the best European films, as well as a screening of the film "The Second Act" by Quentin Dupieux.

The international jury of the Parallels and Encounters program gave a Special Mention for the screenplay of the film “Bosnian Pot” by Pavo Marinković, while the Best Film Award in the Parallels and Encounters competition program went to the film “Panopticon” by George Sikharulidze.

Pavo Marinković, who was also one of the festival’s guests, expressed his gratitude to the audience through a video message and added: "This film has already traveled extensively, and although I have been invited to numerous award ceremonies, we have never received an award. We extend our thanks to the jury, as choosing to honor a comedy-drama is not an obvious decision."

Data Chachua, the lead actor in the film "Panopticon", accepted the award at the Summer Stage in Palić. He stated, "On behalf of the entire film crew, I want to express our gratitude to the festival for this prestigious award. My character, Sandro, feels confused throughout the film, but in the end, he manages to find some hope. I hope that my generation will also find that hope."

Aleksandra Ercegovac, digital marketing manager of Gorki List and VODAVODA presented the Gorki List Audience Award for the film "78 Days.” Producer Miloš Ivanović accepted the award on behalf of the film crew, expressing his gratitude to the festival management for including "an unusual film" in the program, acknowledging it may have been a difficult decision. "Tonight, I would especially like to thank the audience for recognizing that," Ivanović added.

The FIPRESCI Award for Best Film in the Official Selection was awarded to “The Girl with the Needle” by Magnus von Horn. "I have shot three feature films in my life, and all three won an award at the Palić European Film Festival. It is a great honor, and I am very grateful to the festival. I hope that on the next occasion I will be able to come to Palić", said Magnus von Horn in a video message. T

he international jury of the Official Selection program awarded Special Mention to “The Magnet Man” by Gust Van den Berghe. "This is fantastic. I'll have to come back one day and win the grand prize. I love you all," said Gust Van den Berghe in a video message shown on the Summer Stage.

Director Runar Runarsson, winner of the Palić Tower for Best Director for his film “When the Light Breaks”, arrived at Palić specifically for this recognition. He addressed the audience at the Summer Stage with the following words: "People often wonder what a director actually does, and why the actors couldn’t do their job themselves. But it's a little more complicated than that. A director should have a vision and find people who are better than him in various aspects of filmmaking. Also, he must motivate people to realize that vision. This is award is not just for me, but for all these people who make me look good from time to time".

Winner of the Golden Tower for Best Film of the Official Selection program is the film “78 Days” by Emilija Gašić. When receiving the award, Emilija Gašić said: "I am still overwhelmed by today. This is our domestic premiere, and I am very excited that we started right here and received two awards". She thanked the audience for their warm reception of the film, the festival and the jury, as well as all the participants who came to Palić. "These are the big names of European film, and it is truly a great honor to receive the main prize alongside them in the competition program," concluded the Serbian director.

The 31st edition of the European Film Festival Palić was held from July 20 to 26 in Palić and Subotica, organized by the Open University of Subotica. The festival took place at several locations, including the unique Summer Stage in Palić, as well as the Eurocinema, Abazija and Lifka cinemas. This year's edition featured over 150 films across 17 sections in both the pre-festival and festival programs. More than 100 film professionals from the country and abroad, who stayed in Palić, participated in the festival program.

The European Film Festival Palić has been supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the Provincial Secretariat for Culture, Public Information and Relations with Religious Communities, the City of Subotica, the European Union through the Creative Europe MEDIA program, as well as numerous friends and media partners.

Gorky List has been a sponsor and supporter of the Palić European Film Festival for more than 20 years, both as an indispensable part of our artistic scenography and a partner that encourages the audience to delve into the experiences of the showcased films through the Gorky List Audience Award.