He was the first director in Yugoslav history to win Golden Arenas at the national Pula Film Festival with both of his first feature films, The House / Kuća, produced by Croatia film and Jadranfilm in 1975, and Don't Lean Out the Window  / Ne naginji se van, produced by the same companies in 1977.

Early in his career he positioned himself as one of the strongest voices of the Yugoslav anti-establishment cinema. Throughout his life he stayed dedicated to documenting lives of other artists and dissidents, winning international and national awards.

In 1984, he became the managing director of the famous Zagreb film studio, where he worked until the fall of Yugoslavia in 1990. In 2008, Žižić was awarded the Vladimir Nazor Award for Life Achievement, the biggest recognition given by the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media.