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Wednesday, October 8 2025
DJ Ahmet North Macedonia 2025 Location: SilverCity Showtimes: 6:30 & 8:30 pm Director: Georgi M. Unkovski Cast: Arif Jakup, Agush Agushev, Aksel Mehmet Running Time: 99 minutes Language: Macedonian with English subtitles Seattle International Film Festival: New Directors Competition, Georgi M Unkovski; Sundance Film Festival: Audience Award; World Cinema Dramatic Jury Award Emerging Fiction Jury Award; South East Europen Film Festival Los Angeles: Best Feature Film; Audience Award; Desertscape International Film Festival: Best Feature Film; “An auspicious debut: both wildly exotic and completely down to earth, tied to a specific culture yet dealing with universally recognizable problems.”—Daniel Eagan, ScreenAnarchy “DJ Ahmet” is an engaging coming-of-age film that taps into the universal theme of finding one’s own path and the role music can play in achieving liberation. Written and directed by Georgi M. Unkovski, the film tells the story of 15-year-old Ahmet (Arif Jakup) a boy from a small village in North Macedonia. Ahmet has a lot on his plate. His grieving recently widowed dad wishes to pull him out of school, his younger brother (Agush Agushev) refuses to speak, and one of his sheep went astray during a rave. Aya (Dora Akan Zlatanova) the girl of his dreams who loves dance and music, may be promised to someone else. His village is comically tussling between tradition and modernity. Ahmet turns to music for an escape. The spirited soundtrack plays a key role, saturating the film, reflecting Ahmet’s growing sense of freedom and rebellion. As he tries to impress Aya with his music, we feel the beat of his ambitions alongside him. The techno tracks encapsulate the film’s youthful energy. Is this “Footloose” in Macedonia? Unkovski creates a dreamy, sometimes playful atmosphere. He uses cutaways with a group of village women serving as Greek chorus commenting on the proceedings. A local festival provides the movie’s emotional climax. The film’s cinematography captures the lush splendor of the North Macedonian landscape. The age-old theme of finding happiness through the beat of one’s own drummer carries the day. Engaging characters, an invigorating soundtrack, and an uplifting story combine to make “DJ Ahmet” is a lighthearted crowd-pleaser. Wednesday, September 24 2025
A Nice Indian Boy USA 2024 Location: SilverCity Showtimes: 6:30 & 8:30 pm Director: Roshan Sethi Cast: Karan Soni, Jonathan Groff, Sunita Mani, Zarna Garg, Harish Patel Running Time: 96 minutes Language: English Hamptons International Film Festival: Sherzum Award, Roshan Sethi; Golden Trailer Awards: Best Romance; Tasveer Film Festival: Audience Choice Award; four other nominations. “Roshan Sethi’s quietly confident film unspools a tender love story between two men—and the generations learning to accept them—with wit, nuance and no interest in cliché.”—Rex Reed, Observer For years, Naveen, (Karan Soni) an Indian American doctor, has been pressured to get married but he endearingly fumbles romantic connections due to his shyness. He also thinks that his parents are uncomfortable with his sexual orientation. Things take a turn when Naveen encounters a Jay, (Jonathan Groff) a professional photographer. Naveen is smitten. Jay was a foster child adopted by Indian immigrant parents who have since died but he’s retained genuine attachment to the culture. Jay and Naveen move in together. Despite lifestyle differences, (introvert vs extrovert) they realize that marriage may be on the horizon. However, various speed bumps confront them, especially when Naveen introduces Jay to his parents, Megha (Zarna Garg) and Archit (Harish Patel), telling a few wincing white lies in the process. His sister Arundhathi (Sunita Mani) doesn’t help by agitating the situation. Comedic misunderstandings, emotional outbursts, and familial turmoil ensue. Both Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff are engaging performers, imbuing their relationship with credibility. They are well supported by screenwriters Eric Randall and Madhuri Shekar who conjure empathetic characters. Even the parents are given appealing texture. Director Sethi injects infectious charm into the proceedings sidelining sit-com clichés. “A Nice Indian Boy” is a sweet, humorous film. |
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