Production

Film production in Macedonia began spontaneously at the beginning of the 20th century with attempts by individuals fascinated with the new media of living pictures. In 1905, the Manaki Brothers, Janaki and Milton made the first living pictures not only in Macedonia but also in the Balkans, with their 35-mm "Bioscope No. 300" camera, one decade after the appearance of film. Arsenij Jovkov, who made the film "Macedonia" in 1923, continued the Manaki's pioneering accomplishment with clearly defined consciousness about the national cinematography. The first attempts at organized film production were made within the auspices of the Film Department of the Office of Hygiene in Skopje when in 1931 it began realizing its own film production. The amateur film production appeared close before World War II.

The movie production as a basic part of the institutionally organized cinematography in Macedonia was born in 1947 with the establishment of "Vardar Film". Macedonia gained its own national cinematography by founding this production company.
The film production rapidly developed with modest personnel and technical potentials. The technical base gradually improved and a number of employees were sent to develop their skills for film production, so the film production significantly increased in the following period.

Filmmakers that in the middle of the 60s could have a status of free-lance (independent) filmmakers had a special impact on the development of the film production in Macedonia. They organized themselves in different ways, they often associated, or collaborated with the state production company by signing separate contracts. As a result of the film author's status the beginning of the initial private forms of film production in Macedonia took place for the first time in 1968 when the Film Makers' Association was founded on a few film-makers initiative. Thus the competition between "Vardar Film" (who had a monopoly in film production) and the Film Makers' Association began - strongly contributing to the progress of Macedonian film production, both in quantity and quality.

With the disappearance of the Film Makers' Association, apart from the only state producing company "Vardar Film", production initiatives were also taken by "Makedonija Film" and "Gradski Kina - Skopje". These three institutions were occasionally making some co-producing projects.

The development of film production, and especially the new social, political and economic relations after the process of the gaining the national independence of Macedonia, caused an expansion of the private production activities. Namely, since 1991 a number of private production-companies have been established, who have operated, more or less successfully, until the present day.