Born in 1947 in Belgrade. He studied at the well-known Prague school of cinema (FAMU). He has made 30 documentaries and 15 feature films, shown and acclaimed at the most prestigious international film festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto and San Sebastian). The rise of nationalism in Yugoslavia forced him to leave his country in 1992. In 1998 he went back to make The Powder Keg which won international critic's prizes at the Venice Film Festival and the European Film Awards. In 2001, the Variety International Film Guide marks him as one of the world top five directors of the year. The Museum of Modern Art in New-York (MoMA) presented a full retrospective of his work in January 2008.
Goran Paskaljevic was awarded the Sofia Municipality award for outstanding achievements in world cinema in 2014.