On Saturday, September 12, at 8 pm, the 27th European Film Festival Palić opened with a solemn ceremony at EuroCinema in Subotica, and will last until September 18. The festival program will be held in cinemas in Subotica and Palić, and more than 130 films will be screened in 15 program units.

The mayor of Subotica, Stevan Bakić, addressed the audience: "During the 26 festivals so far, the best European filmmakers have told us many unforgettable stories on the big screen. That is why it is of key importance to hold this, 27th festival in Palić. I am proud of our country, province and the city, that we managed to continue with the tradition."

Neil Young, Young Spirit of Europe programmer and Parallels and Encounters co-programmer, presented Sara Fgaier, this year's laureate of the Underground Spirit Award, Festival awards for outstanding work in the field of independent cinema. "Sara is the winner of the European Film Award for GLI ANNI, which she directed, wrote, produced and edited, but she is best known for her editing work. That is the main reason why we awarded her. Most festivals give special awards to directors and actors, but we in Palić recognize that many important people work on the film, such as editors. Sarah Fgaier's specialty is the editing of archival recordings, to which she adds original author's touch. "Without the past, the film has no present, and without the present there is no future," Young concluded.

Sara Fgaier and Ildiko Enyedi - Alexander Lifka Award laureate for her contribution to European cinema in the category of foreign filmmakers, thanked the audience and organizers for the award via a video link.

Radoslav Zelenović, director of the European Film Festival Palić, presented Aleksandar Lifka Award to the legendary actress Mirjana Karanović, laureate in the category of Serbian filmmakers. On that occasion, Zelenović pointed out that she is primarily a film actress, because she was in 70 feature films, which is one of the rare cases in our cinema. The director of the festival said that Mirjana Karanović is in the excellent company of previous laureates, such as Miki Manojlović, Mira Banjac, Milena Dravić, but also Teo Angelopoulos, Jiri Menzl, Ken Loach and other greats of European cinema.

On the occasion of receiving the award, Mirjana Karanović said: "I am really proud of 40 years in this wonderful industry, which I fell in love with when I was a child and longed to get a chance to do acting in any way." Our famous actress added: "I have received many awards in my life, but I think that the greatest success of an actor is to work continuously. For me acting is extended childhood and the world of imagination that made me infinitely happy when I was a child, and latter it actually became a world in which I continued to live on the stage."

Nenad Dukić, the selector of the Main Competition Program – Official Selection, pointed out at the opening ceremony that without the audience film festival is not what it should be. On the quality of the program he said: "This year's Palić Festival presents us what, in my opinion, is a truly representative of the highest quality in European cinema, in the past year’s production. I think it is a great success that we managed to do that, and this year the quality scale is at a high level."

On the occasion of the year's edition opening, Miroslav Mogorović, program director of the Festival, thanked the team that realized the festival this year, as well as the programmers Nenad Dukić, Neil Young and Igor Toholj, who created the Festival’s program together with him. "In the end, we managed to make the festival happen in the right way, with the audience. Next year, we will definitely return to our original location, the Summer Stage", concluded Mogorović.

The European Film Festival Palić was officially opened with the premiere of THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE by our celebrated director Darko Bajić, produced by Zillion Film and sponsored by the Government of AP Vojvodina. This achievement is a historical saga about Svetozar Miletić, a respected lawyer, former mayor of Novi Sad and one of the most important and influential Serbian politicians in Austria-Hungary in the second half of the 19th century. In the film written by Milovan Vitezović, the main role is played by Ljubomir Bandović, while other roles are played by Žarko Laušević, Katarina Žutić, Anja Pavićević, Andrija Kuzmanović, Nikola Ristanovski, Milutin Mima Karadžić, and others.

Director Darko Bajić stated: "I welcome Palić Festival and this brave move, but also the enabling what I think is most important - enabling audience to experience cinema wealth." To be richer for the new films they will watch at this festival. I hope that my film will become their life event, together with other events. It seems to me that THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE will remain remembered for a long time in the minds viewers."