European Film Festival Palić is the leading film event in Serbia with 27 years long tradition and high expanding potential. As a cultural event of national importance, it is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the Secretary of Culture of Province of Vojvodina and the Municipality of Subotica. The festival is also supported by Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme. European Festival Association EFA awarded the festival tEFFE award for one of the most exciting art festivals in Europe.
Being a safe port for cinephiles, EFF Palić is expanding its capacities through building a new, young audience, quality of programming and educative measures that meet the needs of modern age challenges. European Film Festival Palić doesn´t make distinctions between big and small, high or low in terms of cinematography and presents all the films equally with the same care. Between the mainstream and underground we search for glimpses of passion that make Film Art such an influential and subversive phenomenon. We hope to be on the right path in building a better society based on equality and diversity for all of its participants.
The comprehensive program of EFF Palić consists of interconnected and intersected activities such as film selections, workshops for film creation and film critics, public debates on current issues in the field of film art, social and environmental changes, promotional events, exhibitions, classical, rock, jazz and pop music concerts.
With the agenda of screening more than 140 films EFF Palić has a mission to present contemporary film production of European continent, feel the vibrations of it´s creativity and diversity, search for new tendencies with a deep respect to rich cinematic heritage and reflect these values to local society. There are fourteen film selections and two of them are competitive. The International Jury of the Film Festival for the Official Selection awards the Golden Tower - for the best film and the Palić Tower - for the best director, and also awards the Special Jury Prize. The second competition program is Parallels and Encounters, which is evaluated by the International critics jury that awards the Best film from the Parallels and Encounters program. From the year of 2000, national and international filmmakers are awarded with the Aleksandar Lifka Award, for their outstanding contribution to European cinema. The company of the European film greats so far consists of: Milena Dravic, Miklos Jancso, Dusan Makavejev, Jiri Menzel, Gordan Mihic, Lucian Pintilie, Mladomir Purisa Djordjevic, Krizysztof Zanussi, Zivorad Zika Mitrovic, Margarethe von Trotta, Eva Ras, Andzej Wajda, Velimir Bata Zivojinovic, Teo Angelopulos, Ljubisa Samardzic, Istvan Szabo, Goran Paskaljevic, Ken Loach, Predrag Miki Manojlovic, Ken Russell, Goran Markovic, Constantin Costa Gavras, Srdjan Karanovic, Kordan Zafranovic, Zoran Simijanovic, Jean-Marc Barr, Emir Kusturica, Nikita Mihalkkov, Mirjana Mira Banjac, Claude Lelouch, Zelimir Zilnik, Roy Andersson, Slobodan Sijan, Ulrich Seidl, Slavko Stimac, Christopher Hampton, Rade Serbedzija, Brian Cox, Rajko Grlic, Miljen Kreka Kljaković, Mirjana Karanovic and Ildiko Enyedi.
Also, since 2007, as a part of the Young Spirit of Europe program, a brave European filmmaker is awarded the Underground Spirit Award for outstanding work in the field of independent film and unique authorial poetics built outside the mainstream of the film industry. Since its foundation this award has been presented to FJ Ossang, Uli M. Schueppel, Zelimir Zilnik, Ola Simonsson & Johannes Stjarne Nilson, Joern Utkilen, Buharov brothers, Eduard Salier, Luis Lopez Carrasco, Chema Garcia Ibarra, Ion de Sosa, Miguel Llanso, Velasco Broca, Karpo Godina, Bertrand Mandico, Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel, Jean Charles Hue and Sara Fgaier.
Festival venues are mainly located in Palić, lake and settlement of the same name near Subotica. Lake, luxurious parks, eccentric buildings from the early 20th century, an unusual peace and quietness make Palić an ideal place to rest and enjoy the film program. Summer Stage, as an Official Selection Program venue, is located in the dense forest of Palić. It is one of the most beautiful cinemas under the stars and with its uniqueness provides an extraordinary experience for watching movies. Abazija Cinema became one of the key places for events and meetings during the Palić European Film Festival. This architecturally valuable building, designed and built back in 1925, is an integral part of the legally protected architectural core of Park Palić. After renovation and opening, this is the oldest cinema in the former Yugoslavia built originally as a cinema theatre, which makes it a unique tourist and cultural location.
In the city of Subotica, there are three venues: EuroCinema is a permanent cinema in the amphitheater of the Open University in Subotica. Since 2011, it is a member of Europa Cinemas Network; Art Cinema „Aleksandar Lifka“ is the oldest indoor cinema in Subotica, founded in 1911. and restored in 2010; and during the pre-festival program films are also screened at the central square of Subotica city beneath the 150-year-old National Theatre which turns the city’s main square into open-air theatre for everyone to enjoy.
European Film Festival Palić in numbers
- 14 pre-festival and festival days
- 140+ films
- 180+ events
- 25.000+ visitors
- 200 + guests from film industry
- 100+ sponsors
- 180+ accredited journalists
- 1800+ media announcements
- 50+ participants in different educative programs
