In the main hall of the Bitola Cultural Center and at the Manaki cinema, named after the brothers Yanaki and Milton Manaki, pioneers of cinematography, festivalgoers could watch fiction features, documentaries and short films, take part in round tables, and put technical questions to our idols from film sets near and far.
At the end of this week of discoveries and exchanges, here are the winners of the 2026 edition, announced at a ceremony marked by a few heartfelt surprises, and by a bat dancing in the beam of the cinema projector:
Short films
Small Camera 300: Julián Amaru Estrada for Nobody Knows the World
Crystal Camera 300 (student films): Milda Juodvalkytė for Past the Hill of Napoleon’s Hat
Past the Hill of Napoleon’s Hat, directed by Arnas Balčiūnas. Cinematography: Milda Juodvalkytė.
Documentary
Iron Camera 300 (shared): Maxime Kathari for The Beauty of the Donkey
Iron Camera 300 (shared): Benjamín Echazarreta for Krakatoa
Jury special mention: Ala Kheir for Nothing Happens After Your Absence
The Beauty of the Donkey, directed by Dea Gjinovci. Cinematography: Maxime Kathari.
Official selection
Golden Camera 300: Łukasz Żal for Fatherland
Silver Camera 300: Zhongqiang Liang for A Girl Unknown
Bronze Camera 300: Paul Spengemann for Until the Day Ends
A Girl Unknown, directed by Zou Jing. Cinematography: Zhongqiang Liang.
Marie Mercier, Charlotte Alma-Michel, Janusz Kamiński, Eva Krajević.
