22-09-2025

Manaki Brothers International Cinematographers’ FF 2025 Kicks Off in North Macedonia

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    BITOLA: Ten films have been selected for the Competition Camera 300 of the 46th edition of the Manaki Brothers International Cinematographers’ Film Festival, which is underway in Bitola till 26 September 2025.

    The festival features its traditional Golden Camera 300 competition for best cinematographic work as well as the Documentary Programme, the Student and Short Film Competitions, the Mac Point Programme of Macedonian films, as well as open-air screenings and workshops, panels, and industry events. Additional features include the EcoScope section, the Adriatic Audience Award, and book promotions.

    The opening film of the Orizzonti Competition in Venice this year, Mother / Majka by Teona Strugar Mitevska opened the festival on 20 September 2025. Georgi M. Unkovski’s debut feature DJ Ahmet will close the festival. DJ Ahmet is a coproduction between Cinema Futura and Sektor Film from North Macedonia, Alter Vision from the Czech Republic, and Serbia’s Backroom Productions and BašČelik Film House.

    Iranian-French cinematographer Darius Khondji will be presented with the Golden Camera 300 Lifetime Achievement Award, while the American Oscar winner Wally Pfister and award-winning Turkish director Semih Kaplanoglu received the Special Golden Camera 300 for Outstanding Contribution to the World Film Art.

    The Big Star of Macedonian Cinema Award, which is awarded by the Association of Film Professionals for exceptional contribution to Macedonian cinema, will be handed to composer Kiril Dzajkovski.

    The festival is organised by the Macedonian Film Professionals Association and supported by the North Macedonia Film Agency and the Muncipality of Bitola.

    Lineup Competition Camera 300:

    Mother / Majka (North Macedonia, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, India)
    Directed by Teona Strugar Mitevska
    Lensed by Virginie Saint-Martin
    Produced by Sisters and Brother Mitevski 
    Coproduced by Entre Chien et Loup, Rainy Days, Frau Film, Raging Film
    Supported by the North Macedonia Film Agency, the Swedish Film Institute, the Danish Film Institute, Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles, Film i Väst

    The Visitor / Svečias (Lithuania, Norway, Sweden)
    Directed by Vytautas Katkus
    Lensed by Vytautas Katkus
    Produced by M-Films
    Coproduced by Staer, Garagefilm International
    Supported by the Lithuanian Film Centre, Creative Europe - MEDIA, the Lithuanian National Radio and Television, Film Fond Nord, the Swedish Film Institute

    The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box) / El diablo fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemadosen la mismacaja) (Mexico)
    Directed by Ernesto Martínez Bucio
    Lensed by Odei Zabaleta

    Dreams (Sex Love) / Drømmer (Norway)
    Directed by Dag Johan Haugerud
    Lensed by Cecilie Semec

    On Falling (UK, Portugal)
    Directed by Laura Carreira
    Lensed by Karl Kürten

    Vindicta (USA)
    Directed by Dominik Sedlar
    Lensed by David McFarland

    Sirât (France, Spain)
    Directed by Olivier Laxe
    Lensed by Mauro Herce

    I’m Still Here / Ainda estou aqui (Brazil, France)
    Directed by Walter Salles
    Lensed by Adrian Teijido

    Quiet Life (France, Germany, Sweden, Estonia, Greece, Finland)
    Directed by Alexandros Avranas
    Lensed by Olympia Mytilinaiou
    Produced by Les Films du Worso
    Coproduced by Elle Driver, Senator Film Produktion, Fox in the Snow, Amrion, Playground, Asterisk*, MakingMovies, ARTE France Cinema, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Film i Väst, Ert, Faliro House, Exile Content, Sezzfilm, Fink Film, Three Brothers
    Supported by EurimagesFilm Estonia, the Finnish Film Foundation, the Swedish Film Institute, Région Île-De-France, Creative Europe  - MEDIA, the Estonian Film Institute, the Greek Film Center, Ekome, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia 

    Nouvelle Vague / New Wave (France)
    Directed by Richard Linklater
    Lensed by David Chambille

    Adriatic Audience Award:

    Renovation / Renovacija (Lithuania, Latvia, Belgium)
    Directed by Gabrielė Urbonaitė
    Lensed by Vytautas Katkus
    Produced by Studio Uljana Kim 
    Coproduced by Mima Films, Harald House
    Supported by the Lithuanian Film Centre, the National Film Centre of Latvia

    Adam’s Sake / L'intérêt d'Adam (Belgium, France)
    Directed by Laura Wandel
    Lensed by Frédéric Noirhomme

    Maldoror (Belgium, France)
    Directed by Fabrice du Welz
    Lensed by Manuel Dacosse

    Christy (Ireland, UK)
    Directed by Brendan Canty
    Lensed by Colm Hogan

    Perla (Austria, Slovakia)
    Directed by Alexandra Makarová
    Lensed by Georg Weiss
    Produced by Golden Girls Filmproduktion & Filmservices
    Coproduced by Hailstone, Ruth Beckermann Filmproduction
    Supported by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, the Austrian Film Institute, ORF Film/Fernsehabkommen

    Documentary Programme:

    Say Goodbye (Mexico)
    Directed by Paloma López Carrillo
    Lensed by J. Daniel Zúñiga

    When the Phone Rang / Kada je zazvonio telefon (Serbia, USA)
    Directed by Iva Radivojević
    Lensed by Martin DiCicco
    Produced by Set Sail Films, Ivaasks Films
    Coproduced by Picture Palace Pictures
    Supported by Film Center Serbia, The Princess Grace Foundation, Chicken and Egg Pictures, the Hungarian Film Incentive

    The Ground beneath Our Feet (Iceland, Poland)
    Directed by Yrsa Roca Fannberg
    Lensed by Wojciech Staron
    Produced by Akkeri Films
    Coproduced by Staron Film
    Supported by the Icelandic Film Center, the Polish Film Institute, RÚV, YLE, Nordisk Film & TV Fund, Eurimages, Iceland tax incentive

    Gymnasts / Gymnastes (France)
    Directed by Frédérique Menant
    Lensed by Guillaume Mazloum

    Slet 1988 (Germany, France)
    Directed by Marta Popivoda
    Lensed by Ivan Marković

    What We Ask of a Statue Is That It Doesn’t Move / Aftopouzitame apo ena agalma einaina min kineitai (Greece, France)
    Directed by Daphné Hérétakis
    Lensed by Daphne Heretakis, Robin Fresson

    L’Mina (France, Morocco, Italy, Qatar)
    Directed by Randa Maroufi
    Lensed by Luca Coassin

    Control Anatomy (Palestine)
    Directed by Mahmoud Alhaj
    Lensed by Mahmoud Alhaj

    Mac Point Programme:

    Christmas Lights / Badnikovi svetilki (North Macedonia)
    Directed by Gjorgji Lazov
    Lensed by Nikola Markovski

    Everybody Calls Redjo / Site go vikaat Redjo (North Macedonia)
    Directed by Ibër Deari
    Lensed by Dario Sekulovski
    Produced by Manufaktura Production
    Supported by the North Macedonia Film Agency 

    Chipan’s Way / Nacinotna Chipan (North Macedonia)
    Directed by Antonio Veljanoski
    Lensed by Ema Veljanoska, Antonio Veljanoski

    Iron Castle / Zelezen zamok (Switzerland, North Macedonia)
    Directed by Mitko Panov
    Lensed by Mitko Panov
    Produced by Kamera300, Pirej Film dooel

    Lotus (North Macedonia)
    Directed by Tadea Pavlovska, Pavel Kardalevski
    Lensed by Pavel Kardalevski

    The Last Balkan Cowboy / Posledniot kauboj na Balkanot (North Macedonia)
    Directed by Sabidin Aliu
    Lensed by Robert Jankulovski

    For Eva / Za Eva (North Macedonia)
    Directed by Bojan Vasilev
    Lensed bySasho Vasilev

    Promised Land / Vetena zemja (North Macedonia)
    Directed by Qendrim Rijani
    Lensed by Robert Jankulovski

    17' (North Macedonia)
    Directed by Аleksandar Nestorovski
    Lensed by Аleksandar Nestorovski, Ana Pavlovska