Peter Tscherkassky, the Austrian director and one of the most prominent masters of avant-garde and experimental cinema, was awarded the prestigious Underground Spirit Prize at the 32nd European Film Festival in Palić. This award is presented to filmmakers who maintain an independent artistic vision, work outside the mainstream, and continue to explore cinema as a form of art.
SRBIJA NEWS – In an interview with Srbija News, which took place right after the festival’s opening ceremony, Tscherkassky said that it was his first time in Palić and that he couldn’t compare it to previous editions. Nevertheless, he was pleasantly surprised by the number of attendees at the opening: “I was amazed by how many people came yesterday. It was truly impressive,” he said.
He also noted that, during the press conference, he learned about the challenges the organizers had faced — including financial constraints and the need to limit invitations to international guests. According to him, the situation regarding cultural funding in Serbia was difficult, especially given the political climate, and in some ways resembled the state of affairs in the United States.
When asked for advice to the festival, Tscherkassky smiled and replied that he wouldn’t dare instruct such experienced organizers: “Maybe the festival could be held later — in August or September — when it’s not so hot. Or perhaps invite some Hollywood stars… But, of course, that takes a lot of money. In Vienna, for example, when they tried to invite Coppola, he agreed but only on the condition of a private jet. That’s very expensive, and here you don’t even have a proper airport,” he explained.
Peter Tscherkassky remains a cult figure in the world of auteur cinema. He began filming in 1979, and his works have won over 50 international awards, including the Golden Gate Award in San Francisco, the Main Prize in Oberhausen, and Best Short Film at the Venice International Film Festival. In addition to directing, he is known as a film theorist: in 1986, he defended his dissertation “Film as Art”, authored numerous essays on cinema, edited a book about Peter Kubelka, and was the editor of the seminal volume “Film Unframed: A History of Austrian Avant-Garde Cinema.”
His films, including Instructions for a Light and Sound Machine, Coming Attractions, The Exquisite Corpus, and Train Again, have been screened at the world’s most prestigious festivals — from Cannes to Venice. In 2012, his film Outer Space was included in the Sight & Sound list of the greatest films of all time.
Tscherkassky’s visit to Palić was supported by the Austrian Cultural Forum in Belgrade. Despite limited resources, the festival once again affirmed its cultural relevance, and Peter Tscherkassky emerged as one of its most distinguished guests, reminding everyone that true cinema is born from inner freedom, artistic exploration, and personal vision — not from star names and big budgets.
The 32nd European Film Festival in Palić was held from July 19 to 25, 2025, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the Provincial Secretariat for Culture, the City of Subotica, the European Union through the Creative Europe MEDIA program, and the festival’s long-time partner Gorki List, which has been awarding the Audience Award for over 20 years.
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