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Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 32nd European Film Festival Palić

18.07.2025.

The 32nd edition of the European Film Festival Palić will officially open at the Summer Stage in Palić on Saturday, July 19, at 9 p.m. During the opening ceremony, the Aleksandar Lifka Award for outstanding contribution to European cinema will be presented to Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, while the Underground Spirit Award, honoring exceptional work in independent filmmaking, will go to Austrian director Peter Tscherkassky.

Following the ceremony, the Official Selection program will open with the world premiere screening “Pearlescent Fog” the final film by the late director Milorad Milinković, presented out of competition.

Set in 1882, the film follows Jelena Ilka Marković, who attempted to assassinate King Milan Obrenović in St. Michael's Cathedral in Belgrade. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison but was found dead in her cell shortly afterward – the official version claims that she hanged herself with a towel. However, evidence suggests the suicide was not possible. Seven years later, on the same day, two more bodies are discovered – one, a murdered girl found by fishermen on the banks of the Sava River; the other, the body of Prince Miloš’s great-grandson in the Topčider Forest. The two deaths are revealed to be linked to the earlier assassination attempt. Years later, the case is reopened. A failed lawyer and the head of Belgrade’s police investigate Marković's death, each driven by personal motives, but in her case, the truth brings no comfort. The screenplay was co-written by Milorad Milinković and Dragoljub Stojković, and the cast includes Miloš Timotijević, Petar Strugar, Jana Ivanović, Nebojša Dugalić, Voja Brajović, Luka Grbić, Miona Marković, Jelena Ilić, and Mariana Aranđelović.

The Official Selection of this year's festival also features: “Two Prosecutors” by Sergei Loznitsa, recipient of this year’s Aleksandar Lifka Award in the foreign creators category; "Dreaming of Lions" (Portugal) by Paolo Marinou-Blanco; "Growing Down" (Hungary) by Bálint Dániel Sós; "Reflection in a Dead Diamond" (Belgium) by directing duo Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani; "100 Liters of Gold" (Finland) by Teemu Nikki; "Mirrors No. 3" (Germany) by Christian Petzold; "Little Trouble Girls" (Slovenia) by Urška Đukić; "Quiet Life" (Greece) by Alexandros Avranas; and "Out of Control" (France) by Anne Le Ny, as well as “Echoes of the Plains” by Maja Uzelac (out of competition). All films from this selection will be screened at the Palić Summer Stage.

The Parallels and Encounters competition program will be screened at the Abazija Cinema in Palić and includes: “Lotus” (Lithuania) directed by Signe Birkova, “Confidante” (Turkey) by the director duo Çağla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti, “Toxic” (Lithuania) by Saulė Bliuvaitė, “Sandbag Dam” (Croatia) by Čejen Černić Čanak, “Comatogen” (Romania) by Igor Cobileanski, “Thus Spoke the Wind” (Armenia) by Maria Rigel, “Honeymoon” (Ukraine) by Zhanna Ozirna, “Eighty Plus“ (Serbia) by Želimir Žilnik, “The Black Hole” (Finland) by Moonika Siimets, and “Broken Voices” (Czech Republic) by Ondřej Provazník.

Throughout the festival, films will also be screened across various sections: Young Spirit of Europe, New Hungarian Film, New European Documentary Film, Eco Dox, Underground Spirit Award Laureate Homage, EFA Shorts, MIOB in Shorts, a selection from the Zsigmond Vilmos Film Festival, a joint selection of films from the FAFA project, the “Tender Realities” program, along with several special screenings.

Two programs will take place within the European festival network Moving Images - Open Borders (MIOB), of which the European Film Festival Palić is a long-standing member. The MIOB Lab is dedicated to fostering distinctive voices among the new generation of critics and film journalists, bringing fresh perspectives and writing styles to the field. Selected participants will benefit from a unique, cost-free experience receiving guided, personalized mentorship from leading experts in cultural journalism. In addition, the festival will host consultations between festival representatives and eco-experts as part of MIOB’s Green Charter for Film Festivals platform, which continuously works to develop solutions for reducing waste and pollution. These activities will culminate in a panel discussion on July 23 at 4:30 p.m. at the Eco Center, open to participants from the film and festival industries, as well as representatives of the civil sector and public institutions.

As part of the Cross-Border FAFA Project, the 32nd European Film Festival Palić will feature a workshop for students from film schools in Subotica, Szeged, Novi Sad and Kecskemét; screenings of eight selected films from contemporary Serbian and Hungarian cinema by young filmmakers addressing socially engaged topics; discussions with guests from the films; and knowledge exchange sessions between project partners and festival organizers.

The accompanying program will include an exhibition titled “The Power of Love: Vlastimir Gavrik”, dedicated to the renowned film and television production designer, curated by Aleksandra Gavrik and hosted at the Open University of Subotica gallery. Additionally, the Abazija Cinema will present “Seven Caricatures for the Seventh Art”, an exhibition featuring works by acclaimed domestic caricaturists. The program will also include a presentation of Saša Radojević’s book “Street Children of Film”.

An ecological panel discussion titled "From Local to Global – The Contribution of Civil Society in the Fight Against Climate Change" will be organized as part of the project "Be Aware of the Problem – Be Part of the Solution," supported by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A IPA Hungary-Serbia Program.

As part of the Erasmus+ program “Breaking Taboos”, which aims to raise awareness about the issue of early marriage among Roma girls and inform the wider public, a European documentary omnibus film has been produced, bringing together seven national stories into a single feature-length work. This omnibus will be screened at the festival, followed by a discussion with the film's director.

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.

For 29 years, Gorki List has proudly stood alongside the European Film Festival Palić as a long-term partner and supporter of film art that inspires and connects. Believing in the power of authentic expression and meaningful dialogue with audiences, Gorki List will once again, in keeping with tradition, present the Audience Award for Best Film. By listening to the voices of the viewers, Gorki List affirms their role as essential allies of art, which lives on through those who truly appreciate and understand it.