Actor Petre Arsovski is the recipient of the 2026 “Great Star of Macedonian Cinema” Award, presented by the Macedonian Film Professional’s Association (DFRM) in recognition of an exceptional contribution to Macedonian cinematography. The award will be presented during the opening ceremony of this year’s edition of the International Cinematographers’ Film Festival “Manaki Brothers,” on September 19 in Bitola.

With more than five decades of work in front of the camera, Petre Arsovski is one of the most recognizable actors in Macedonian cinema. His career began in the early 1970s and has spanned different periods in the development of Macedonian film, leaving behind a remarkable body of performances that have become part of the country’s cinematic history.

Arsovski made his film debut in 1971 in The Macedonian Part of Hell, directed by Vatroslav Mimica. In the years that followed, he appeared in The Shot by Branko Gapo, Misery by Kiril Cenevski, The Longest Road by Branko Gapo, and The Verdict by Trajche Popov. In 1980, he played the leading role of Petre Kushko in Time, Water, directed by Branko Gapo.

His career continued with roles in numerous films that marked different periods of Macedonian cinematography, including Happy New Ѕеар ’49, Tattoo, Angels of the Dumps, Gypsy Magic, Goodbye 20th Century, The Great Water, Bal-Can-Can, The Border Post, The Third Half, To the Hilt, The Liberation of Skopje, The Golden Five, and Lena and Vladimir. His filmography also includes numerous film and television productions in countries across the region and beyond.

Throughout his decades-long career, Arsovski has received numerous distinctions, including the “11 October” State Award for Lifetime Achievement in Culture and the Arts, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the “Vojdan Chernodrinski” Macedonian Theatre Festival, and the “13 November” Award of the City of Skopje.

By presenting the “Great Star of Macedonian Cinema” Award, DFRM pays tribute to Petre Arsovski for his exceptional and enduring contribution to Macedonian cinematography, his decades-long presence in Macedonian film, and the numerous performances through which his name has become an inseparable part of its history.

The “Great Star of Macedonian Cinema” Award was established by DFRM in 2013. Previous recipients include Kiril Cenevski, Milcho Manchevski, Darko Markovikj, Simon Perry, the production company Vardar Film, Milica Stojanova, Ljupcho Konstantinov, Stole Popov, Severdzhan Bajram, Gorjan Tozija – Medo, Labina Mitevska, Dimitar Grbevski, and Kiril Djaikovski.