Audience award
18.07.2026.
The 33rd edition of the European Film Festival Palić officially opened at the Summer Stage in Palić on Saturday, July 18, with Kornél Mundruczó receiving the Aleksandar Lifka Award in the category of international filmmakers.
The Aleksandar Lifka Award was presented by Nikolaj Nikitin, selector of the Official Selection programme, who said on the occasion: "You may wonder whether Kornél Mundruczó is still a bit too young to receive the Alexandar Lifka Award for Outstanding Contribution to European Cinema. If we look solely at his age, the answer might be: perhaps. However, if we consider the breadth of his artistic vision, the extraordinary diversity of his work, his impressive body of films, as well as his numerous appearances and awards at some of the world's most prestigious film festivals – including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Locarno, Oberhausen, and many others – the answer is unequivocal: no, he is not too young."
Nikitin also highlighted the importance of Viktória Petrányi, the producer of Mundruczó's films, who was greeted with warm applause from the audience. "Kornél and Viki form one of the most significant creative partnerships in European cinema. They met while studying film and have, through their production company Proton, built nearly every project that has defined Kornél's career. It is impossible to celebrate one without acknowledging the other," Nikitin concluded.
Kornél Mundruczó thanked the festival for the award and emphasized how much the recognition meant to him. "In a way, I grew up together with this festival. My first films were screened here. I have returned many times. This is more than just a festival. After every screening, you are reminded that European cinema remains an important part of the seventh art, and that film as a language must take risks, explore new territories, and remain honest in reflecting reality we live in. Here in Palić, I always find good friends, outstanding screenings, and a spirit that I have always tried to bring into my own films as well," said Mundruczó. He also thanked Viktória Petrányi, noting that none of his films would have been made without her.
Following the ceremony, the Official Selection programme opened with a screening of “Oh, This Unspeakable Void“ by director Simon Verhoeven (Germany). The film follows Joachim as he navigates the bizarre challenges of acting school and the eccentric rituals of his hosts, all while trying to find his place in the world. Later in the evening, "The Good Daughter" by Júlia de Paz Solvas (Spain), which follows three generations of women as they confront reality and make decisions about their future, was also screened in the Official Selection at the Summer Stage in Palić.
The Official Selection continues on Sunday, July 19, at the Summer Stage in Palić, with screenings of “Feels Like Home” by Gábor Holtai (Hungary) at 9 p.m. and "Nino in Paradise" by Laurent Micheli (Belgium) at 11 p.m. The Parallels and Encounters programme will present “Milk Teeth” by Mihai Mincan at 6 p.m. and “Black Money for White Nights” by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov at 8 p.m. at the Abazija Cinema in Palić.
On Sunday, July 19, audiences will also have the opportunity to see films from the New Hungarian Film, Germany in Focus, Eco Dox, New European Documentary Film, EFA Shorts, Aleksandar Lifka Award Laureate Homage, two guest festival sections presented by the Gornji Milanovac Film Festival and the Skopje Film Festival, as well as several special screenings.
The European Film Festival Palić is 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 more than two decades, Gorki List has been a valued partner of the European Film Festival Palić, serving both as an integral part of its visual identity and as the sponsor of the Gorki List Audience Award, which encourages audiences to engage more deeply with the films presented at the festival.
