by Mustapha Barat, ABC – IMAGO President
This past week, I had the pleasure of representing IMAGO, along with our Co-Vice President and Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Bojana Andric, SAS, and Nigel Walters, BSC, board member and former president, at the 45th Manaki Brothers International Cinematographers’ Film Festival, hosted in the beautiful city of Bitola.
The festival kicked off with the opening of the “I of the Lens” exhibition, co-sponsored by LEITZ Cine, SUMOLIGHT, and IMAGO. Produced by Vika Safrigina, Susanna Kraus, the artist behind the camera, and Bojana Andric, who oversaw this successful portrait showcase.
The official festival opening was a red-carpet affair at the Cultural Center Cinema, featuring this year’s laureates of the Special Camera 300 award: Bruno Delbonnel, AFC, ASC, honored for his lifetime achievement, and Jolanta Dylewska, PSC, recognized for her outstanding contribution to world cinematic art. The ceremony was followed by a screening of Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film, attended by cinematographer Daria D’Antonio.
On Sunday, at the Manaki Theater, I had the pleasure of moderating the ‘IMAGO Panel with Masters’, featuring the jury president John Seale AM, ACS, ASC; Dante Spinotti, ASC, AIC; and Christian Berger, AAC.
Other notable sessions included a LEITZ Panel with Nancy Schreiber, ASC; Lula Carvalho, ASC, ABC; and me. Nigel Walters, BSC, who has been involved with the festival for 17 years, moderated a discussion with Bruno Delbonnel, AFC, ASC.
The panel “The Powerful Women of Manaki” included Alice Brooks, Nancy Schreiber, ASC, Agnieska Szeliga, SOC, Claire Pijman, NSC, Birgit Gudjonsdottir, Teresa Medina, AEC, Oona Menges and Cristina Novak. This event was followed by an impromptu IMAGO-sponsored luncheon, where Bojana Andric and I discussed diversity and inclusion issues with some of the panelists.
Bojana continued her work with a productive working breakfast and lunch, sponsored by IMAGO, with representatives of the Balkan Conference, further strengthening our regional collaborations.
This year’s festival also saw the inauguration of bronze stars on the pedestrian street in front of the Manaki Theater, honoring past and present cinematographers’ laureates of the Special Camera 300. Honorees included Sven Nykvist, FSF; Robbie Müller, NSC; Peter Biziou, BSC; John Seale, AM, ACS, ASC; Walter Carvalho, ABC; Christian Berger, AAC; and Chris Menges, BSC, ASC, among others.
Beyond the scheduled events, this gathering provided valuable opportunities to strengthen ties with members from various societies, including those from Finland, Sweden, Britain, France, and Brazil. We also made new connections with representatives from the Georgian Society (GCA), who have applied for full membership, and the Mexican Society (AMC), which is considering the possibility of becoming a full member of IMAGO.
Our presence at Manaki strengthened existing bonds, fostered new connections, and continued our commitment to celebrating and advancing the craft of cinematography.
There is a lot more to say about the films in the competition and the awards, so I would like to highlight a few: the Best Feature Film Cinematography went to Judith Kaufmann, BVK, for The Teachers’ Lounge. The Trailblazer Award went to Nancy Schreiber, ASC; Alice Brooks, ASC, and her gaffer received the innovative DoP & Gaffer Award for Wicked, and Hélcio Alemão Nagamine, ABC, received best short fiction cinematography for Amarelo.
On behalf of IMAGO, I would like to thank the festival director, Simeon Moni Damevski, and his team for the warm welcome and excellent organization, and all those who made this edition possible. I encourage those who haven’t yet attended the festival to mark it on their calendar.
By Bojana Andric, SAS – IMAGO Co-Vice President
The 45th celebration of the Manaki Brothers Film Festival this September was spectacular, praising past laureates, welcoming new ones, and at the same time building a strong future with more and more cinematographers who fell in love with it. Manaki is a rising star, a sentiment that was almost unanimous among cinematographers and colleagues from all parts of the world.
At the festival, IMAGO was represented by its President, Mr Mustapha Barat, ABC, and me. We took part in panels, screenings, cocktails, official and unofficial discussions, and met with IMAGO sponsors: ARRI, SONY, LEITZ, and others. Multiple representatives from different national societies within the IMAGO family were present.
IMAGO directly contributed to the programme by participating in:
- An IMAGO Master Chat With The Masters: Dante Spinotti, AIC, ASC, John Seale AM, ACS, ASC, and Christian Berger, AAC, BVK
- The “I of the Lens” exhibition
- The Annual IMAGO Balkan conference
Manaki is the best example of promoting the art and craft of cinematography, and it deserves all our love and support.
