Two awards for DJ Ahmet at Sundance Film Festival
The debut feature written and directed by Georgi M. Unkovski, DJ Ahmet, realised in co-production with Croatian company 365 Films (with Katarina Prpić as co-producer), took home two awards from the Sundance Film Festival, which took place in Park City, Utah, running 23rd January – 2nd February.
The film won the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision and the Audience Award, which voted it the best film in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. The full list of awarded titles may be found at this link.
“World cinema gives us access to a depth of emotion, diversity of characters, and meaningful journeys that are not limited by borders. Our guiding principle was hope and light, and the films in this section have a strong sense of courage and vulnerability. We found all this and more in this film’s progressive characters and distinct tone. For this reason, we have chosen to award the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision to Georgi M. Unkovski for DJ Ahmet”, said the jury’s statement.
Set in the remote Yuruk village of Kodzhalija, North Macedonia, DJ Ahmet tells the story of 15-year-old Ahmet who finds refuge in electronic music, as a way out of his traditional environment. A drama with elements of comedy, DJ Ahmet tells the story of a teenager’s journey as he navigates first love, friendships, and self-discovery, set against a vibrant backdrop in which traditional values and modernity collide.
The film is written and directed by Georgi M. Unkovski. The Croatian portion of the crew included co-producer Katarina Prpić and score composers Alen and Nenad Sinkauz, while visual effects were done at Croatian studio Poster.
DJ Ahmet is a co-production between Macedonian companies Cinema Future and Sektor Film, with Czech Alter Vision and Analog Vision, as well as Serbian houses Backroom Production and Baš Čelik, and Croatian 365 Films. The film was supported by the North Macedonia Film Agency, Czech Film Fund, Film Center Serbia, Croatian Audiovisual Centre, SEE Cinema Network, and Eurimages European Film Fund.
Sundance Film Festival is one of world’s most prestigious festivals pioneering independent cinema, founded by Robert Redford in 1984. Known for discovering bold new voices in the art of filmmaking, the 2025 edition took place 23rd January – 2nd February in Park City, Utah. The festival screens a selection of titles from across the globe, with only 10 features making the cut for the official international competition. The festival also offers a variety of panels and discussions, affirming its position as a premier event promoting the latest achievements in filmmaking.