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Kosta Karakashyan is a Bulgarian-Armenian director, choreographer, and writer, known for blending emotional intimacy with bold visual storytelling. His work spans narrative film, commercials and music videos, rooted in human connection, queer identity, and poetic movement. Kosta’s work has screened at over 50 festivals worldwide, addressing themes of queer identity and resilience. His dance documentary WAITING FOR COLOR, about the LGBTQ+ purge in Chechnya, won the Prix Lumière at Cinédanse Ottawa, was featured by The Guardian, GLAAD, them, and Radio Free Europe, and established him as a politically engaged visual storyteller. Other award-winning projects include a real boy (NOWNESS Picks), Surrender (Sofia Film Festival, Master of Art Festival), and In Her Skin (Beyond The Short). A Columbia University graduate (BA in Dance), Forbes Europe 30 Under 30 honoree in Arts & Culture, and one of Bulgaria’s Youth Delegates to the United Nations, Kosta is recognized for shaping powerful platforms that merge art and advocacy. He has worked globally across New York, Germany, Egypt, Japan, and Vietnam and is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents and a member of the European Film Academy. With every film, he aims to move people, not just visually, but viscerally.