"Manaki Brothers" – winner of a prestigious award from the British Society of Cinematographers

The British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) presented the Special Achievement Award to the IFK "Manaki Brothers".

The festival director, Simeon Moni Damevski, received the award at the British Society of Cinematographers' annual awards ceremony, which is traditionally held in early February in London.

This award is a unique honor for the festival, which has been celebrating the art of cinematographers for four and a half decades and highlighting their key role in creating cinematic magic. As the oldest festival in the world dedicated exclusively to cinematographers, “Manaki Brothers” carries on the legacy of Janaki and Milton Manaki, the first film chroniclers in the Balkans, whose work laid the foundations of visual storytelling in the region.

The British Society of Cinematographers, which is the oldest and largest national association of cinematographers in the world after the American one, presents this award in recognition of individuals or groups of individuals who have dedicatedly celebrated cinematography and contributed to its affirmation. In their explanation, it is emphasized that the "Manaki Brothers" festival not only nurtures this art form, but also represents a platform for new generations of cinematographers, who with their vision shape the future of world cinematography.

"Bitola is our eternal inspiration, the city where light and shadows dance in harmony, creating stories that transcend time. London, on the other hand, is the place where our ancestors found the tool for this magic – their "Bioscope" camera with serial number 300. Today, with this recognition, the circle between the two cities connected through the love of film and the art of cinematography closes," says the director of the IFK "Manaki Brothers" - Simeon Moni Damevski.

Previous recipients of the Special Achievement Award include legendary cinematographer Jost Vacano, one of the most deserving of cinematographers having the status of auteurs today, the British National Film and Television School, and the International Federation of Cinematographers IMAGO.

At the same ceremony, the Lifetime Achievement Award was given to cinematographer Dick Pope, known for his long-standing collaboration with director Mike Leigh, and the Award for Best Cinematography in a Feature Film went to Lol Crowley for the film "The Brutalist", one of the most awarded films in this year's awards season.