Manaki Brothers presents the "Golden Camera 300" for Mátyás Erdély, the cinematographer of "Son of Saul"

ICFF “Manaki Brothers” and the official partner Vip operator announced the awards of the 36th edition of the festival tonight. The “Golden Camera 300” went to the cinematographer Mátyás Erdély for the film “Son of Saul”. “This film offers a new way of storytelling; on one hand we are facing the main character’s psychology, while on the other hand we were witnessing the dreads of the holocaust” – with these words, the jury of the Official Program chose the best cinematography, announcing it at tonight’s awards ceremony in the Center of Culture in Bitola.
The “Silver Camera 300” went to Adam Arkapaw for the film “Macbeth”, for the extraordinary skill to put new technologies in service of Shakespeare’s classical drama. The “Bronze Camera 300” went to Mateo Guzman for the film “Land and shade”, for representing rural America with poetic and magical realism in a way rarely witnessed on film.

The jury consisted of: Ryszard Lenczewski - president, Bozidar - Bota Nikoloc, Hayet Benkara, ErcanKesal and Mitko Panov. The jury also presented Morteza Gheidi with a Special Mention for the film "Nahid". The jury emphasized the cinematographic talent of Vladan Radovic as well, for the film "Black souls".
Best film in the "New European Cinema" program is "Rams" directed by Grimur Hokanarson. This project will also receive 10.000 euros awarded by the "Hungarian FilmLab" ("Magyar Filmlabor"), for the post-production of a next film project.
The award for best cinematography went to Vasco Viana for the Portuguese film "Mountain" by Joao Salaviza.

In the new program "SEE Camera" the award "Golden Manaki" went to the Turkish film"Sivas" directed by Kaan Mujdeci. Milos Srdic was named best cinematographer in this program for the film "The woods are still green".
The member of jury were: Maja Bogojevic- film critic, Diomides Nikita- producer and Miroslav Momcilovic - director. The cinematographer of the film "Down from Heaven" Goran Naumovski won the "Small Golden Camera 300" award.
The award was granted to him by Frosina Boshkova, in charge of sponsorships at Vip operator. 
The audience also witnessed a few short films made by children during the festival, in the framework of the Vip Junior Program and “Giffoni Voyager”.
The festival’s director Dimitar Nikolov addressed the audience thanking all the attendees, the official partner Vip, the sponsors, the entire team, volunteers and guest stewards who gave their utmost to make a 10-day beautiful festival in Bitola. 
 -I will miss being without the festival a little in the next 360 days even though I will surely be involved in a different way. Thank you for the support, for everything you have done so that this festival would live up to its reputation and to advance by taking huge steps, to become something even bigger and something we will be proud of – said Nikolov. 
The laureate Bozhidar-Bota Nikolc was granted the Lifetime Achievement Award “Golden Camera 300”. He said that he has been working on film for 47 years and that in the world there is no such place as Bitola where cinematographers are being stopped on the street to take a photo. 
 - I wouldn’t want to sound pathetic but I rejoiced very much when the director of the festival told me that I was getting this award. However, I was also a bit saddened because still, this is a lifetime achievement award. Film is a collective art. Many people around me have helped me win this award and I would like to thank all of them. First of all, to my family for their patience, to the directors for the faith they put in me and I would be unfair if I didn’t thank my two assistants to whom I would like to say: “We’ve won an award” – said Bota Nikolic.

He received the award from the Mayor of Bitla, Vladimir Talevski. He congratulated Nikolic on the awards. 
 -As each film speaks of pain, passion, joy, love, fear, anxiety, so our festival knows about pain, love, passion and joy. I thank all of you as with your presence in the past 10 days you have shown and proven and we have all seen and lived a great truth, which is that the International Festival of Film Camera “Manaki Brothers” is the most important event in the domain of culture in the Republic of Macedonia. – said Talevski. 
 Nigel Waters, President of the European Federation of Cinematographers IMAGO granted the award to the laureate Jaromir Sofr. 
He emphasized the importance of the festival for cinematographers as the oldest one in the world dedicated to them. Sofr showed his gratitude for the recognition and said: 
-You are a truly friendly audience and I hope that you will watch films after me and that you will manage to see all my colleagues’ and friends’ quality films rightfully digitalized because it is a way for them to be preserved. Actually, with digitalization itself the instrument changes but the filmmakers’ and cinematographers’ art does not change and that is why I believe that they shall continue our tradition in future as well, will use the new technologies, but will also continue to be just as good cinematographers and we will watch just as great films. 
The musician Goce Naumov performed at the ceremony, with the music and visual project “Mil-tone”, in which through videos from the Manaki brothers and through his original music he brought us back a century ago when the festival’s patrons worked.
In honor of the awards, the Taiwanese – Chinese film “ The Assassin” was screened.