The story, penned by Dina Duma and Lidija Mojsovska, follows Adela, an 11-year-old Romani girl from Skopje whose passion for skateboarding clashes with the conservative expectations of her family and community. When a financial crisis pushes her parents towards marrying off her older sister as a way out, Adela must decide how far she is willing to go to resist an arranged marriage and protect her sister’s future.

“This story mattered to me because I wanted to portray the world of three generations of women who live between the weight of tradition and the need for change. I was interested in how young people today find their own small spaces of freedom, even in environments where social rules are very strong”, said director Dina Duma.

The main cast includes non-professional and professional actors: Efqar Abaz, Jefrina Jashari, Simonida Selimović, Ganimet Abdula, Severdzan Bajram, Sanela Emin.

The film is produced by Labina Mitevska through Macedonian Sisters and Brother Mitevski Production, in coproduction with Sébastien Delloye through Belgian Entre Chien et Loup, and Danijel Hočevar through Slovenian Vertigo.

The project has received backing from the North Macedonia Film Agency, Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie‑Bruxelles, Voo & Be tv, the Creative Europe – MEDIA programme, Wallimage, the Belgian federal tax shelter, as well as Eurimages. The film was previously developed at La Résidence du Festival de Cannes and presented at the CineLink Co‑Production Market in Sarajevo.

Skateboarding Is Not for Girls was shot in Skopje in the spring of 2024.