The Festival director Radoslav Zelenović pointed out that the Festival can actually assist our country now that it is moving towards Europe.

"Our main concern is how to improve the European Film Festival Palić, how to make the it better, although there are numerous difficulties with possible solutions completely out of our reach. The future Festival Palace, the Grand Terrace, is finished from the outside but the interior is still neither completed nor functional. The problem is that film screenings cannot be held here, as well as the fact that Lifka's Cinema Theatre in Subotica will be transformed into a regular theatre", added Zelenović.

Blažo Perović offered the most extensive and detailed vision of the Festival in a form of an elaborate study that will stay in the Festival archive as the most serious plan and proposition, as well as a great idea for consideration and discussion.

He expressed his devotion to an agora-like type of a festival, affirmation of the European socially-engaged art cinema and emphasized the critical and spiritual mission of the European Film Festival Palić.

Milena Dravić, honorary president of the Festival, still recognizes love and enthusiasm she is familiar with since the Festival's beginnings. She was worried by the fact that uncomfortable wooden chairs were the reason why the audience left the screening of the Romanian film MEDAL OF HONOR.

Screenwriter and director Srđan Koljević (THE WOMAN WITH A BROKEN NOSE) pointed out that the Festival is continuously developing and among its guests has renowned filmmakers who otherwise despise comercial festivals. Nebojša Popović pointed out one great feature of the Festival, namely the focus on the currently most promising national cinemas. This year, it is the new Belgian film, and in previous years we had Israeli and Finnish cinema.
Marija Šimoković suggested that a big sculpture of Aleksandar Lifka should be placed at the entrance of the Summer Stage, with a sculpture of his wife Erzsebet Bek selling tickets in the back, as well as a bronze plate which would be a copy of Lifka's first poster with the names of Aleksandar Lifka Award winners. Igor Toholj saw that Lifka's spirit has been well preserved at the Festival, and Miroslav Mogorović promised preservation of high professionalism in organizational structure.

Goran Marković came with a wish that the Festival should follow unique concept of its own, since it has always been its deepest essence, and never to become too big and lose its soul, like, for instance, Montpelier Festival.
According to Zoran Simjanović film artists come to Palić with the same enthusiasm as they once attended music festival in Subotica, which unfortunately doesn't exist any more. Therefore, Palić Festival has to be careful in order to avoid similar destiny.

"It would have been great if the last night's orchestra had performed music themes from Goran Marković films and if music, from now on, could always be connected to the Festival", said Simjanović and suggested that Summer Stage should be closed and turned into Palić Cultural Center.

Branislav Filipović believes that a group of enthusiasts can do more for the Festival than the state machinery whose lack of interest has been a matter of lament. In Branislav Lečić's point of view, Palić Festival, as a gathering point of European cinema, makes it easier for Serbia to enter Europe. The Festival has already become a commercial for Subotica and Palić, and it can secure significant income to the local budget. However, before that we should know that everything starts with the lake and Palić. Therefore, it should be cleaned first.

V. Milivojević