The CEI Prize assigned in the framework of the Trieste Film Festival has been awarded this year to the Macedonian director Milcho Manchevski for his multifaceted, thirty-year career in cinema productions. The CEI Prize (3.000 EUR) was presented by CEI Deputy Secretary General, Mr Zoran Jovanovic, during the awarding ceremony in Trieste on 21 January.
Born in Skopje in 1959, writer, photographer, film critic, screenplay writer and director, Manchevski started off by creating short films, music videos and commercials which gave him immediate international fame. After gaining a diploma in film direction in the USA, Manchevski returned to Macedonia, his original source of inspiration, and dedicated himself to telling the story of his country in a passionate and authentic manner, a land fought over by numerous ethnic groups and striking a difficult balance between a powerful push towards modernity and a fierce devotion to its cultural and ancestral roots. Milcho Manchevski wrote and directed the feature films “Before the Rain” (1994), Dust (2001/I), Senki (2007) and Majki (2010). "Before the Rain" won an Academy-Award nomination and thirty awards, including the Golden Lion for Best Film in Venice. The New York Times included "Before the Rain" on its list of the best 1,000 films ever made. The CEI has established a long-standing cooperation with the Trieste Film Festival, recognising the merits of this initiative which promotes and supports with great attention the cinematography of the countries of the CEI region. In particular, the CEI supports the “Eastweek project” that fosters collaboration with schools and academies of Central and Eastern European countries and bring to Trieste young directors, producers and writers, giving them the opportunity to participate in the festival, and in a series of meetings, seminars and special events. As part of its commitment to supporting Central and Eastern European cinema, the CEI is also among the supporters of the meeting of the co-production "When East Meets West", organized by the Regional Fund for Audiovisual Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Trieste Film Festival. For more information: www.triestefilmfestival.it; fabro@cei-es.org
from left: CEI Deputy Secretary General Jovanovic and Director Manchevski