He made his debut with the prophetic film "Krhotine" (1991), which was nominated for a European Film Award. This was followed by the award-winning films "Isprani", "Crvena prašina", and "Tu", which was also screened at our Mediterranean Film Festival (MFF). His short feature film "Zabranjena igračka" was also screened at the MFF, and Ogresta served as a member of the festival jury on two occasions – in 2003 and 2025. He also directed the films "Iza stakla", which was in the official competition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and "Projekcije" - best film at the Pula Film Festival in 2013.

He reached the peak of his career with the drama "S one strane" (2016), which was awarded at the Berlinale and the Pula Film Festival, while "Plavi cvijet" (2021) once again confirmed his creative maturity. For his exceptional contribution to Croatian culture, he received the "Vladimir Nazor" Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024, and a year later, he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus of the University of Zagreb.

Zrinko Ogresta will be remembered as an author who dissected the human psyche with exceptional precision and sensitivity, creating intimate and powerful film stories that won over audiences and critics around the world.