MANAKI BROTHERS - INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

International Cinematographers Film Festival "Manaki Brothers" is the first and oldest world film festival celebrating the creative work of cinematographers. Launched in 1979 at the initiative of one of the main founders AFWM/Association of Film Workers of Macedonia, in the first half of its existence existed as review/meetings and then it began a competitive festival of Yugoslav cameramen/cinematographers in the category of short/documentary and feature films.



The festival was established in honor and inspired by overwhelming photographic / film documentary opus of brothers Janaki (1878-1954) and Milton (1880-1964), who with Film Festival "Bioscope" camera with serial number 300 of the company Charles URBAN, bought in London, just 10 years after the Lumière brothers in Paris, recorded the first documentaries in the Balkans in 1905 in Bitola and their first "actress" was their grandmother Despina which at 114 years of age was registered how she weaves in the yard of the family home. Therefore, they naturally laid the foundations of the upcoming festival in the city under Pelister, city of consuls, in Bitola, where brothers Brothers had a photography studio/shop and cinema.
International Cinematographers Film Festival "Brothers," which is held annually in Bitola is organized by the Association of Film Workers of the Republic of Macedonia.
Each year, the ICFF "Manaki Brothers" is held under the patronage of the President of the Republic and is supported by the Ministry of Culture. The festival, with its striking program, is becoming richer from year to year and it's attractive to both film professionals and film aficionados around the world.

Pillar of the festival program is "Camera 300" - the official competition of feature films from the latest European and world production. The cinematographers of these films contend for the Golden, Silver and Bronze Camera 300. Those are Festival awards awarded by an international jury of five members.

Beside the Official Competition, part of the Festival belongs to the program of short film, which has no competitivecharacter and shows a selection of the best performances of the film production in the last two years. Student Program "Manaki Brothers" is dedicated to young talents - students of film academies and schools worldwide. Within the festival program are also workshops, seminars, roundtables, exhibitions ...
The festival also awards Lifetime Achievement Award Golden Camera 300, which is reserved for the world's leading cinematographers. Until now, winners in the Club of the Greats are: Vittorio Storaro, Vadim Yusov, Raul Poor, Tonino Delli Coli, Miroslav Ondrichek, Henri Alec, Freddie Francis, Jiri Vojchik, Sven Nikvist.

The festival maintains close relations, cooperating with other festivals in the region and beyond. Since 2002, it is a member of the European Coordination of Film Festivals. Over the years, ICFF "Manaki Brothers" gained many sincere friends in the area of ​​film from all over the world. Today, it enjoys a reputation as one of the few successful festivals, specifically honoring the art and creativity of the cinematographer.