Skopje, 22 September 2025 (MIA) -- The first Macedonian animated feature film, Goce Cvetanovski's sci-fi comedy "John Vardar vs the Galaxy" (2024), has won the best animated feature film award at this year's Galactic Imaginarium Film Festival in Romania.

So far, the film has been shown at some 30 film festivals throughout Europe, South America and Asia. Earlier this year, it won awards for best animated feature at Portoviejo International Film Festival in Ecuador and Ariano International Film Festival in Italy.

Described as a space opera with a Balkan twist, "John Vardar vs the Galaxy" promotes tolerance, peace, respect for other cultures and the importance of optimism and positivity.

Cvetanovski wrote and directed the film. Alan Castillo is the producer and Mihajlo "The Micho" Dimitrievski is the art director. The cast consists of Zharko Dimoski, Emilija Micevska and Damjan Cvetanovski. mr/