The film director Milco Mancevski who, 18 years ago, won the “Golden Lion” award of the prestigious Venice Film Festival for “Before the Rain”, as of today bears the title “National Artist”, the highest recognition for culture in Macedonia. The award, which acknowledges his contribution to the development and affirmation of the Macedonian cinematography, was presented to him by the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov.

“When we consider Mancevski’s film opus, we must stress that he is a lucid, innovative and consistent cinematographer. He is an author whose specific and original aesthetics is highly valued by film critics and accepted by the film audience. He is an author who leaves you breathless”, President Ivanov said.

Recalling that at this year’s International Cinematographers’ Film Festival “Manaki Brothers” there are 28 Macedonian movies, the President added that for the successful development of the Macedonian film particular importance have Mancevski’s achievements.

Culture Minister Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska said that Mancevski is an artist with an incredible imagination and inventiveness, endlessly curious and wise storyteller. He is the first film maker who managed in an important period after the independence of the country to make the world public and film critic familiar with the new state in the Balkans. It thus opened the way for the future generations of young film makers to successfully promote themselves in the world, the Culture Minister said.

Mancevski briefly thanked for the award to the President, the Minister and the Commission and his loved ones who, as he said, were there for me when it was easy and when it was tough.

Milco Mancevski (1959) is a film director, screenwriter and professor. He graduated at the School of Film and Photography in Carbondale, Illinois, USA. Since 1985 he lives in New York where he teaches directing at the post-graduate studies at the "New York University", but he often resides in his native Skopje.

He is the author of more than sixty movies: short, feature and documentary films, videos, clips, commercials and feature-length films. After winning the "Golden Lion", his film "Before the Rain" (1994) was among the Oscar nominees for non-English speaking films. He is the screenwriter and film director of "Dust" in 2001, "Shadows" in 2007 and "Mothers" in 2010. He was also a director of the series "The Wire".

Mancevski has won over 40 international awards for aesthetic and cultural achievements for the films that had more than 200 festival screenings on all continents. The video "Tennessee" won the award for best video on MTV and is among the top 100 music videos according to the magazine "The Rolling Stone". His films open up a new era in the modern film production in Macedonia, international co-productions and the Macedonian films began to be shown at A-category festivals. His work is part of the curriculum at hundreds of universities, film encyclopedias and Cinematheques. As direct investment from foreign partners and governments, through the European Fund "Eurimages", Mancevski's films have brought in Macedonia more than 15 million Euros.

He is the author of the first of a series of videos to promote the country "Macedonia Timeless", of four books, two of which with photos. Since 2007 Manceski is the Ambassador of the Macedonia's culture to the United States.

Milco Mancevski is the second winner of the title of National Artist of Macedonia. Last September it was awarded to the pianist Simon Trpceski. The award, which is awarded on the basis of the Law on National Artist adopted last year, consists of a permanent monthly allowance of 1.000 Euros.