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New Hungarian Film, New European Documentaries and Eco Dox programs at the 32nd European Film Festival Palić

16.07.2025.

The programs New Hungarian Film, which will screen six films from Hungary, New European Documentaries, showcasing the best documentaries from the European continent, and Eco Dox, a program based on European documentary films dedicated to the challenges of environmental protection, will be presented as part of the 32nd European Film Festival Palić, which will be held from July 19 to 23, 2025 in Palić and Subotica. Admission to all these screenings is free. The following films will be shown in the New Hungarian Film section at the Eurocinema movie theatre: I Accidentally Wrote a Book by Nóra Lakos, I Was Born to Serve by Attila Moharos, The Rebound by Csaba Vékes, But What About Tomy? by Attila Till, and two films by Péter Fazakas Tonight We Kill and Uncle Vanya – Bubble Waltz. As in previous years, this program is organized by the European Film Festival Palić in cooperation with the National Film Institute of Hungary (Nemzeti Filmintezet).

I Accidentally Wrote a Book (July 19, 3 p.m.) is very personal and inspiring story of a 12-year-old girl, Nina, who discovers the healing power of writing. As she learns to write, Nina uncovers her family's history, experiences the long-suppressed grief of her long-lost mother, and gains a deeper sense of self.

I Was Born to Serve (July 19, 7 p.m.) is a poignant picture of modern-day slavery and the tragic life and fate of two vulnerable, disadvantaged Transylvanian brothers. A film of balladic brevity about struggle, hope and faith through the example of young people whose destinies are always endangered by failure and tragedy.

In The Rebound (July 20, 7 p.m.) a button-soccer team suddenly receives a large amount of money by error, but they are not willing to give it back. They are going for the European cup instead. An irresponsible father and his hard-working, but looser son try to reconcile with each other, while the stakes rise due to their successful participation in the European button-soccer tournament.

Tonight We Kill (July 21, 7 p.m.) tells of a mysterious death at an actors' retirement home, which prompts an overlooked actor, Tivadar Tolnai, who once played a detective in his most famous television series, to investigate the case on his own. As he methodically interrogates suspects one by one, he realizes that finding the culprit among so many excellent fellow actors will be a master detective's job, as all the residents are professional liars.

In But What About Tomy? (July 22, 7 p.m.) Sándor, son of a famous actor, fights his father's shadow and his own alcoholism. After being stabbed by his daughter during a domestic dispute, he finds sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous. Five years later, Sándor accidentally meets his estranged daughter and confronts his past.

Uncle Vanya – Bubble Waltz (July 23, 7 p.m.) is a free-form adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Iván, long disillusioned with life and resigned, breeds grey cattle on a remote estate. He is completely shaken from his usual calm when his narcissistic brother-in-law, Jakab, and his fresh wife, the beautiful Léna, arrive.

The following films will be screened in the New European Documentaries section at the Lifka Art Cinema at 7pm: The Social Trap: 5 Women Vs the Big 5 (France) by Elisa Jadot (July 19), An American Pastoral (France) by Auberi Edler (July 20), Moria Six (Germany) by Jennifer Mallmann (July 21), Archetype (Serbia) by Andrija Lekić and Igor M. Toholj (July 22), and A Year of Endless Days (Croatia) by Renata Lučić (July 23).

The Eco Dox section will showcase the films Scars of Growth (Austria, Germany) by the directing duo Monika Grassl and Linda Osusky (July 19), The Gardener, the Buddhist and the Spy (Norway, United Kingdom, Germany) by Håvard Bustnes (July 20), The Mountain Won’t Move (Slovenia, France, North Macedonia) by Petra Seliškar (July 21), Fission (orig. Spaltung, Germany) by João Pedro Prado and Anton Yaremchuk (July 22), and The Faint Clatter of Birds (Poland) by Franciszek Berbeka (July 22). The films will be screened at the Lifka Art Cinema at 5pm. The programmer of both sections is Igor Toholj.

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The 32nd European Film Festival Palić will take place from July 19 to 23, 2025, in Palić and Subotica. This year’s festival will present more than 140 films across 16 different sections. 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 partners and media sponsors.

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.