Serbian filmmaker Zelimir Zilnik, one of the major figures of the Yugoslav Black Wave, was awarded the Golden Alexander in recognition of his work, at a special honorary ceremony held on Monday, November 3, 2014 at the Pavlos Zannas theatre in Thessaloniki.

The Balkan Survey section of the 55h Thessaloniki International Film Festival is hosting a tribute to the work of Mr. Zilnik, who is noted for his socially engaging style and criticism of censorship that was commonplace during the Yugoslav communist era.

TIFF director Dimitri Eipides and Zelimir Zilnik attended the event. In his opening speech, Mr. Eipides explained that he had first encountered Zelimir Zilnik’s work 28 years ago, while he was living abroad, adding that this is the first time that his films are screened in Greece. He also congratulated Dimitri Kerkinos, Head of Balkan Survey, for the tribute. “Tonight the Festival honors a very special guest, a visual activist, with a valuable and important body of work that is being presented for the first time in Greece. Zilnik represents the avant-garde. We are delighted to have his films at the 55th TIFF, which celebrates humanity. It’s a great pleasure to honor him tonight, awarding him the Golden Alexander, the Festival’s Grand Prize”.

On his part, the director said that he feels honored to participate in this “great festival”, as he noted, and to receive the award. Mr. Zilnik added that visiting Thessaloniki for the first time in his life, was for him a “great and pleasant surprise”. Finally, he thanked all people who helped organize the tribute to his work, and made special reference to the Film Center Serbia and the Consulate General of the Republic of Serbia in Thessaloniki.

Zilnik’s first movie, Early Works (1968), was screened right after the ceremony. “This film was a big lesson for me. I learned how to be patient and insist on my ideas and my inspiration,” the filmmaker underlined.