Born in Veles, Macedonia, Director Svetozar Ristovski attended the University of St Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, where he studied architecture and filmmaking.
In 2001, he made his first documentary, Joy of Life, which was awarded Best Documentary at the GoEast Film Festival in Wiesbaden, Germany and Best Documentary (International Selection) at the Wine Country Film Festival in Napa Valley, California.
The critically acclaimed Mirage/Ilujia (2004) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Discovery program. The film screened in official selections around the world and captured several awards including: Best Film at the Anchorage International Film Festival, Lions Award at Rotterdam International Film Festival, Europa Award- Best European Debut at Zlin International Film Festival, Best Camera and Jury Mention for Best Director & Best Actor at AVANCA, Portugal, Award from the Critics, and the French Distributors at Mamers-en-Mars Film Festival, France, Special Jury Mention at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
One of Canada’s newest directors, Dear Mr. Gacy is his first Canadian feature. Ristovski moved to Canada in 2004 after meeting his wife Grace Lea Troje, a Canadian screenwriter, and collaborating on Mirage/Ilujia.
Ristovski’s interests include design, painting, writing, architecture, and literature. He is inspired by the likes of Andrei Tarkovsky, Stanley Kubrick, Federico Fellini, Robert Bresson, and Michelangelo Antonioni.
Ristovski currently resides between Toronto and Port Alberni with Troje.
