Kosta Karakashyan

BIOGRAPHIE

Kosta Karakashyan is a Bulgarian-Armenian director, choreographer, performer, and writer exploring empathy through movement and storytelling. His work has been described as "an important voice for LGBTQ+ struggles in Chechnya and elsewhere" by The Columbia Spectator. A two-time Bulgarian National Ballroom Champion, Kosta has performed and choreographed on Dancing With the Stars Vietnam, Bulgaria's Got Talent, and across Canada, Germany, Norway, Egypt, Vietnam, and Japan. He graduated with a BA in Dance from Columbia University and a Master's in Human Rights from the Global Campus of Human Rights in Venice, Italy. Kosta has worked with artists such as Rita Ora, Years and Years, Sherihan and Preyah, directors Jonathan Alric, Alaska, Manu Cossu and Will Hopper, and commercial clients Škoda, Calvin Klein, H&M, Kohler, Method, EE, Studio Zard, Florsheim, and SRB Paris (featured in Vogue Russia). Bringing his experience of choreography and performance to the screen, Kosta has directed, produced, and choreographed numerous short films and videos through his production company Studio Karakashyan, most notably the documentary dance film WAITING FOR COLOR about the ongoing LGBTQ+ persecution in Chechnya, awarded the Prix Lumière at Cinédanse Festival Ottawa 2019. WAITING FOR COLOR has been selected at over 20 festivals worldwide and featured by The Guardian, Elle Magazine, Bloomberg, them, GLAAD, and Radio Free Europe. His choreography has been presented by the Columbia Ballet Collaborative (NYC), Ballet Arabesque (Bulgaria) and the Gabrovo Biennial of Humor and Satire (Bulgaria). He was part of David France's BAFTA-winning, Emmy-nominated documentary feature film Welcome to Chechnya as a face double protecting the anonymity of the real subjects of the film. He is the creator and founding editor-in-chief of Out.bg, a Bulgarian LGBTQ+ community platform, featured on BBC World Service OS and The New East is Queer.

FILMOGRAPHIE