DJ AHMET

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.