Yanaki and Milton Manaki, collectively known as the Manaki brothers, were photography and cinema pioneers on the Balkan Peninsula. In 1905, they made the first film in the Balkans. It was a silent, black and white documentary that depicted the brothers’ 114-year-old grandmother Despina spinning and weaving. In 1923, they opened the first movie theater in the Macedonian city of Bitola.
The Manaki Brothers Film Festival was established in 1979 by the Macedonian Film Professionals’ Association (MFPA) with the assistance of the Cinematheque of Macedonia and the city of Bitola. It focused on films by Yugoslavian directors. After Macedonia’s declaration of independence in 1991, the Manaki Film Festival was transformed into an international film event and began to host a film competition.
The main award presented in the festival’s international film competition is the Camera 300 Award. It is given by an international jury to the best films screened at the festival. The jury selects three films which are presented the Golden. Silver and Bronze Camera 300. Since 1997, the Golden Camera 300 for Lifetime Achievement has been presented each year.
Alongside competition screenings, the program of the Manaki Borthers Film Festival includes world and international premiers of highly anticipated movies, short and documentary film screenings, and special sections such as European Cinema Perspectives, Mac Point, Country in Focus, Student Program, Junior Program, EFA (European Film Academy) Program, and more. Additional activities at the festival include special screenings, workshops and masterclasses.
The main venue of the Manaki Film Festival is the Bitola Cultural Center. Most screenings take place at the Center’s Big Hall. Over the years, the festival has welcomed many celebrity guests, such as Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve, Daryl Hannah, Michael York, and many others.
Photo: manaki.mk
