Macedonian-American film director
Milcho Manchevski (Macedonian : Милчо Манчевски , pronounced [ˈmilt͡ʃɔ ˈmant͡ʃɛfski] ⓘ )[ 1] is a Macedonian-American film director, photographer and artist.[ 2] [ 3]
Milcho Manchevski was born on 18 October 1959 in Skopje , SR Macedonia , SFR Yugoslavia . He studied at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje's University.[ 4] Manchevski's Before the Rain was called "one of the greatest debut feature films in the history of cinema" by Annette Insdorf . The New York Times included it in its Guide to the Best 1,000 Films Ever Made list.[ 5] [ 6] [ 7] It won the Golden Lion in Venice , Independent Spirit, was nominated for an Academy Award and won 30 other awards.
He has made the multiple award-winning films, such as Dust , Shadows ,[ 5] Mothers , Bikini Moon and Willow . In addition, he's directed many music videos and shorts as such The End of Time , Thursday , Macedonia Timeless , Tennessee and 1.73 . For Macedonia Timeless , which was during the term of prime minister Nikola Gruevski , he directed clips depicting a continuity between Alexander the Great 's ancient Macedonia and Republic of Macedonia (now North Macedonia ).[ 8] He was elected as an honorary ambassador to New York in 2007. Manchevski is also an honorary member of the Writers' Association of Macedonia.[ 4]
Manchevski won the Best Director award at the 2020 Raindance Film Festival for Willow .[ 9]
Year
Film
Director
Writer
Producer
Awards / Notes
1994
Before the Rain [ 6]
Yes
Yes
No
Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival , Independent Spirit , Academy Award nomination , FIPRESCI
2001
Dust [ 10] [ 11]
Yes
Yes
No
Golden Reel Award Nomination (Best Sound Editing), 2002
2007
Shadows [ 5] [ 6]
Yes
Yes
Yes
Syracuse Film Festival, 2008: Best Actress nomination, Vesna Stanojevska, Park City Film Music Festival
2010
Mothers [ 12]
Yes
Yes
Yes
FEST: Special Jury Prize in the selection Europe Out of Europe, 2011, FEDEORA
2017
Bikini Moon [ 13] [ 14]
Yes
Yes
Yes
Directors' Week Special Jury Award at Fantasporto
2019
Willow
Yes
Yes
Yes
Best Director at Raindance ; Best Feature Film at Cinequest , Mostra de València – Silver Palm
2022
Kaymak
Yes
Yes
Yes
2025
Leaving Copacabana
Yes
Yes
Yes
Filming [ 15]
The End of Time (2017)
Thursday (2013)
Buddies: Race – Skopsko for Us (2015)
Buddies: Filip – Skopsko for Us (2015)
Buddies: Green Car – Skopsko for Us (2015)
Macedonia Timeless: Mountains (2008)
Macedonia Timeless: Temples (2008)
Macedonia Timeless: Archaeology (2008)
Kiril Dzajkovski – Red Safari (2019)
Kiril Dzajkovski – Dawn (2019)
Krte Rodzevski – Eh Ljubov (2019)
Nina Spirova – Eden baknez (2007)
Kiril Dzajkovski – Jungle Shadow (2007)
Kiril Dzajkovski – Primitive Science (2001)
Kiril Dzajkovski – The Dead Are Waiting (2001)
Kiril Dzajkovski – Brothel Tango (2001)
Roachford – This Generation (1994)
Arno Hintjens – Vive ma liberte (1993)
George Lamond – Baby I Believe in You (1992)
Sonia Dada – You Ain't Thinking (About Me) (1992)
School of Hard Knocks – A Dirty Cop Named Harry (1992)
Arrested Development – Tennessee (1991)[ 16]
Riff – If You're Serious (1991)
Deskee – Kid Get Hyped (1991)
Partners in Kryme – Undercover (1990)
Bastion – Hot Day in Mexico (1985)
Leb i sol – Aber dojde, Donke (1983)
^ "Milcho Manchevski: Full Biography" . maccinema.com . Kinoteka na Makedonija. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
^ Gordana P. Crnkovic (2012). Post-Yugoslav Literature and Film: Fires, Foundations, Flourishes . A&C Black. p. 79. ISBN 9781441171771 .
^ Radmila Gorup, ed. (2013). After Yugoslavia: The Cultural Spaces of a Vanished Land . Stanford University Press. p. 125. ISBN 9780804787345 .
^ a b Blaže Ristovski, ed. (2009). Macedonian Encyclopedia (in Macedonian). Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. p. 914.
^ a b c Holden, Stephen (January 29, 2009). "A Macedonian Ghost Story, Directed by Milcho Manchevski" . The New York Times . Retrieved March 22, 2017 .
^ a b c d Dawson, Nick (March 8, 2017). "Milcho Manchevski, Shadows" . Filmmaker Magazine . Retrieved March 22, 2017 .
^ Nichols, P.M.; Scott, A.O. (2004). The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made . Film Critics of the New York Times. St. Martin's Press. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-312-32611-1 . Retrieved March 22, 2017 .
^ Fabio Mattioli (2020). Dark Finance: Illiquidity and Authoritarianism at the Margins of Europe . Stanford University Press. p. 59. ISBN 9781503612945 .
^ "Raindance Film Festival Announced from London" . 6 November 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-12 .
^ "Retrospective of Milcho Manchevski's Work to Be Held in Brazil – Independent.mk" . independent.mk . Retrieved 22 March 2017 .
^ History in Dust: An Interview with Milcho Manchevski
Roderick Coover Film Quarterly; Winter 2004/2005; 58, 2; ProQuest Direct Complete, p. 2
^ Senjanovic, Natasha (February 21, 2011). "Mothers: Berlin Review" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 22, 2017 .
^ Bruno Carmelo (2017-10-25). "Mostra de São Paulo 2017: "A Internet ainda não ajudou o cinema como ajudou a música", afirma Milcho Manchevski, diretor de Bikini Moon" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2017-11-08 .
^ Gui, Augusto (2017-10-21). "Bikini Moon [Resenha do Filme]" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2017-11-08 .
^ Petkovic, Vladan (16 July 2025). "EXCLUSIVE: Milcho Manchevski starts filming Leaving Copacabana" . Cineuropa . Retrieved 16 July 2025 .
^ Bode, Gus (6 June 1997). "When Milcho Manchevski graduated from SIUC's film school in 1982, he had no idea that he would one day write and direct an Oscar nominated film" . Daily Egyptian . Retrieved 25 March 2017 .
International National People Other