A collaboration between North Macedonia, the Czech Republic, Serbia, and Croatia, the film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition category on January 23, 2025.[2] Following Unkovski's 2019 short film and 2020 Sundance entry, Sticker, DJ Ahmet took five years to create with numerous difficulties in funding and production.[3]
On December 11, 2024, Films Boutique announced that it had acquired international rights for DJ Ahmet.[4]
Synopsis
The film is centered around the life of 15-year-old boy, Ahmet, who falls in love for the first time, desires to be a DJ, and contends with the conservatism of his rural village in North Macedonia.[5][6]
Cast
Arif Jakup as Ahmet
Agush Agushev as Naim
Dora Akan Zlatanova as Aya
Aksel Mehmet
Selpin Kerim
Atila Klince as The Muezzin
Production
DJ Ahmet took five years to make, initially being turned down shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. Financing took place from 2021 to 2023. Most of the film's production was then completed in the two years leading up to its Sundance Film Festival premiere. Principal photography took 36 days near the end of 2023; filming took place in the villages of Kodzalia, Ali Koç, and Skopje.[7] Post-production followed for a year.[8]
The film's budget was 978,000 euros.[7] It was supported by the North Macedonia Film Agency, Eurimages, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Film Center Serbia, the Czech Film Fund, and the South Eastern Europe Cinema Network.[9]
The Hollywood Reporter lauded the "solid naturalistic performances" of the film's cast, with particular attention to Jakup, and stated it "has a slick, crowd-pleasing quality that could entice streamers or select distributors. The film playfully critiques certain Muslim customs, but never in a demeaning way, while providing a heartwarming coming-of-age narrative that’s a tad predictable."[10]
ScreenAnarchy lauded Unkovski as a "smart director" and said that the film "is both wildly exotic and completely down to earth, tied to a specific culture yet dealing with universally recognizable problems. It's an auspicious debut."[11]
In a review for Variety, Carlos Aguilar praised the film as a "revelation" that "seamlessly straddles the line between laugh-out-loud crowd-pleaser and art-house gem with affecting gravitas". He highlighted Unkovski’s perceptive writing, which contrasts youth plugged into the modern world with the weight of tradition, and called Jakup’s lead performance "quietly soulful". Visually, Aguilar noted the film’s "striking visuals and vibrant color".[12]
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