Two lifelong friends and bandmates face a tough choice between fame, happiness, and loyalty to their childhood dreams. 

Babek and Sahil, lifelong friends and wedding musicians in rural Azerbaijan, dream of performing on the renowned TV show “Baku Star” in the capital city. Babek, a talented pop-folk singer, is eager to escape the confines of their small-town life and make a name for himself. His immediate plan involves creating a music video to promote their band, despite lacking the funds. In a desperate move, he convinces his authoritarian mother to take out another loan, which he ultimately squanders, plunging him deeper into debt. Meanwhile, Sahil, the band’s songwriter and promoter, remains grounded and supportive, though he harbours feelings of jealousy and anxiety over Babek’s growing ambitions and his new relationship with Zarif, a beautiful waitress. As tensions rise, an unexpected and tragic turn of events forces both men to confront their dreams, loyalties, and the harsh realities of their choices.

Programme section: Closing Film / Cinema Current / East of East
Original title: Mənim sehrli dünyam | Year: 2025 | Duration: 109′
Country: Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Cyprus | Language: Azerbaijani, English | Subtitles: English
Director: Elvin Adigozel | Production: Maria Ibrahimova – Cinex Productions, Emil Najafov – Ultra Production; Evos Film, Highbit Media | Cast: Jahangir Melik, Kamil Nazim, Kamala Israfilova, Yusif Dadashov | Screenplay: Elvin Adigozel | Cinematography: Natiq Husiyev | Editing: Elvin Adigozel, Elchin Shukur

FESTIVALS & AWARDS (SELECTION) 

goEast Film Festival, 2025 – World Premiere

DIRECTOR’S BIO

Elvin Adigozel was born in 1989 in the rural Goranboy western region of Azerbaijan. While working for a television channel, he set money aside to shoot three short films. He later co-directed “Chameleon” (2013), which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival. He also directed the short documentary “Beyond the Hills”, which premiered at the Cinema Vérité, Iran International Documentary Film Festival. In 2015, Elvin participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus. The same year, his project “Lankaran” was selected to be part of Cinelink at the Sarajevo Film Festival. His second feature film, “Reporting From Darkness”, had its world premiere at the FIDMarseille (2018), and his short “Shooting Ms Rena′s Film!” (2019) premiered in Busan. “My Magical World” (2025) is his latest film.