The Manaki brothers are regarded as the pioneers of cinematography in many countries, but in general—the Balkans.
The films they made marked the beginning of ethnographic documentaries in the Balkans.
They are credited for capturing the notable historical events of the Balkan and Macedonia region in the time before, during, and in between World War I and World War II.
Most of their work can be found in the film archives of North Macedonia and Greece.
Some of their photographs and film footage were lost or destroyed in the 1916 bombing of their studio and the 1939 burning of their theater.

The plot of Theo Angelopoulos's film Ulysses' Gaze revolves around the fictional and metaphoric quest for a lost and undeveloped reel of film shot by the Manaki brothers before the Balkans were split by the forces of nationalism.
It opens with the images of their grandmother spinning wool.
The first documentary about the Manaki brothers was from Zagreb Film in 1958, and in 1988 a Greek-language documentary was released.

To honor the brothers, the Manaki Brothers Film Festival,  first organized on 21 May 1950, is held in Bitola (where Milton reside for 60 years until his death).
The festival holds a contest in which the winner receives the Golden Camera 300 award, named for their legendary camera.
The festival is the main and oldest film festival in North Macedonia and former SFR Yugoslavia.
In 2011 the local government announced the restoration of the Manaki Brothers Film Theater that was destroyed in a fire in 1939.
The Cinematheque of Macedonia announced in 2012 that the Manaki brothers' films would be restored and digitized.
The Manaki brothers are regarded as the pioneers of cinematography in many countries, but in general—the Balkans. The films they made marked the beginning of ethnographic documentaries in the Balkans. They are credited for capturing the notable historical events of the Balkan and Macedonia region in the time before, during, and in between World War I and World War II. Most of their work can be found in the film archives of North Macedonia and Greece. Some of their photographs and film footage were lost or destroyed in the 1916 bombing of their studio and the 1939 burning of their theater.
The plot of Theo Angelopoulos's film Ulysses' Gaze revolves around the fictional and metaphoric quest for a lost and undeveloped reel of film shot by the Manaki brothers before the Balkans were split by the forces of nationalism. It opens with the images of their grandmother spinning wool. The first documentary about the Manaki brothers was from Zagreb Film in 1958, and in 1988 a Greek-language documentary was released.
To honor the brothers, the Manaki Brothers Film Festival,  first organized on 21 May 1950, is held in Bitola (where Milton reside for 60 years until his death). The festival holds a contest in which the winner receives the Golden Camera 300 award, named for their legendary camera. The festival is the main and oldest film festival in North Macedonia and former SFR Yugoslavia. In 2011 the local government announced the restoration of the Manaki Brothers Film Theater that was destroyed in a fire in 1939. The Cinematheque of Macedonia announced in 2012 that the Manaki brothers' films would be restored and digitized.
Yanaki and Milton Manaki