TCMA Faculty & Staff
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Zhumanazar Koichubekov Assistant Professor Zhumanazar Koichubekov is a Kyrgyz cinematographer, director, and educator with more than a decade of professional experience in film, television, and media education. He holds a Master of Arts in Journalism from the American University of Central Asia (2019–2021), a B.A. in Feature Film and TV Directing from the Kyrgyz State University of Culture and Arts named after B. Beishenalieva (2015–2018), as well as earlier degrees in Tourism and Administration from Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabaev (2012–2015; 2007–2010, College). Since 2019, he has been an Instructor at the Department of Television, Cinema and Media Arts at AUCA, where he teaches cinematography, color correction, TV journalism, and commercial production. He also lectures at the Kyrgyz State University of Culture and Arts and the Technical School of Innovation at AUCA, focusing on cinematography, photography, and design. His professional career began in 2008 at Oljo Production as a cinematographer, video editor, and colorist. From 2011 to 2019 he worked at SEA Studio and the National Film Studio “Kyrgyzfilm” named after T. Okeev, where he grew from cinematographer–editor to chief engineer. His filmography spans over 30 projects, including feature films, documentaries, and short films. As Director of Photography, he has contributed to acclaimed feature films such as Aiash (2021), Courier (2022), Takebay (2018, 2020), Naparniki 2 (2019), and Jeti-X (2017–2018). He also directed documentaries including The Sky of Our Childhood (2022), Hero (2021), and 1365 Days (2016). His works have been screened internationally, earning multiple awards and recognition. Highlights include:
He is a member of the Union of Filmmakers of the Kyrgyz Republic. He is fluent in Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkish, and English. Courses taught:
Link to this block: https://www.auca.kg/en/tcma_faculty_staff/#b1257 |
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Adilet Karzhoev Assistant Professor Adilet Karzhoev is a filmmaker, scriptwriter, producer, and educator specializing in documentary and fiction cinema, television, and multimedia production. He is currently the Chair of the Department of TV, Cinema and Media Arts at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), where he also serves as an Assistant Professor. At AUCA, he has taught courses such as Intro to TV and Cinema Techniques, Art and Theory of Editing, Advanced Editing, Film Directing Skills, and Senior Project. From 2015 to 2021, he coordinated AUCA’s Video Studio, mentoring students and managing production facilities. Beyond academia, Karzhoev has worked extensively as a filmmaker. He was a film director, producer, and editor at the Public Fund “Ayai Media” (2013–2020), where he created social advertisements and short films. He also collaborated with IFES, the Media Support Center, and the Media Democracy Camp as a multimedia trainer (2012–2021), training high school students in photography and video production, and later directed a documentary about MediaDemCamp. His filmography includes the short fiction Burul (2022), the award-winning documentary Black Wagon (2021), the feature-length documentary Barakholka. The Time Machine (2020), the short fiction Carousel (2019), Thank You, Doctor! (2016), and Sary-Oy (2011). His films have been recognized with numerous awards at international festivals, including jury prizes at VIDSEE Juree Asia Awards, Moscow Premiere IFF, Bir Duino, Ismailia IFF, and others. Sary-Oy alone received more than five international awards between 2012 and 2014. Karzhoev holds a Master of Arts in Journalism from the American University of Central Asia (2019) and a Bachelor of Media and Communication in Radio, Television and Cinema from Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University (2011). He has also completed advanced professional training programs, including scriptwriting courses at the School of Film Directors and Scriptwriters in Saint Petersburg, the Eurasiadoc Scriptwriting Residence, and the Producers Film School in Cholpon-Ata. He is fluent in Kyrgyz, Russian, Turkish, and English. Courses taught:
Link to this block: https://www.auca.kg/en/tcma_faculty_staff/#b1256 |
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Temur Karabaev Temur Karabaev is a creative media specialist with extensive experience in all stages of film, video, and media projects, from pre-production to post-production. He combines technical expertise in cinematography, videography, and editing with strong skills in public relations and project coordination. Over the years, Temur has contributed to numerous short films, media projects, university productions, and social initiatives, consistently delivering high-quality visual content and collaborating effectively with production teams. He currently serves as Coordinator of the TV Studio and Media Laboratory at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA). In this role, he manages media equipment, instructs students in camera operation, lighting, audio, and video editing, and oversees filming and editing of university events. At the same time, Temur works as a freelance videographer and director of photography, handling all aspects of production including script preparation, location scouting, on-set direction, filming, editing, and color grading. Temur has also worked as a Public Relations Specialist at OJSC “Guarantee Fund”, Video Editor and Project Coordinator at the National Democratic Institute, and cameraman/interpreter on international film productions. His projects range from promotional videos, advertisements, and event coverage to feature films and interactive media content. He is recognized for his creative vision, critical thinking, and ability to collaborate with diverse teams. His work has received international exposure, including participation as a press member at the Cannes Film Festival (2019) and winning TIFE (2016). Temur is also actively involved in social activism and volunteering initiatives. Temur holds a degree in Television, Cinema and Media Arts from the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), with a concentration in cinematography. He is proficient in filming, photography, video and photo editing, media relations, and industry-standard software including Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Lightroom, and Audition. Languages: Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Russian, English Link to this block: https://www.auca.kg/en/tcma_faculty_staff/#b1262 |
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Guljan Toktogul Guljan Toktogul is a distinguished screenwriter, story editor, and script consultant with extensive experience in film and television across Kyrgyzstan, the United States, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. Over the past decade, she has contributed to a wide range of feature films, short films, and TV series, offering expertise in narrative development, script consulting, and story editing for both local and international productions. Her work encompasses feature films such as Maya the Fire and Only Heaven Knows, short films including Alexandra and I’ll Be a Star, as well as multiple television series like First Step and Teacher. Guljan has collaborated with leading production companies including 1.1 Studio, VD Prod, SP Film Production, Internews Production, Didar Film, and Qara Production, bringing stories from initial concept to screen-ready scripts. Many of her projects have received international recognition, including screenings at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Beirut International Women Film Festival, and the European Parliament in Brussels, as well as multiple awards at national and international film festivals. She holds an MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles, where she was awarded both the AFI Scholarship and the Richard Frank Scholarship. She also earned a certificate in Screenwriting from the Moscow Film School and a BA in Journalism from Kyrgyz National University. Guljan has been honored with numerous awards and fellowships, including Best Screenplay at the 3rd Ak Ilbirs National Film Awards (Salam, New York!), semifinalist placements at the Humanitas – The David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Fellowship, ScreenCraft Drama Competition, and quarterfinalist recognitions at Final Draft Big Break, CineStory TV Retreat, and Sundance Development Track. Beyond her creative work, Guljan is deeply engaged in education and mentorship. She has delivered masterclasses on screenwriting for the International Research & Exchanges Board in Bishkek, served as a lecturer for storytelling courses for journalists and bloggers at the Institute for War & Peace Reporting, and acted as a jury member for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Scholarship at the Asian World Film Festival. She is also the author of a popular screenwriting blog on Telegram, “guljan toktogul,” with over 9,000 subscribers. Languages: English (fluent), Kyrgyz (native), Russian (native) Link to this block: https://www.auca.kg/en/tcma_faculty_staff/#b1261 |
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Sultan Usuvaliev Sultan Usuvaliev is a film scholar, PhD, associate professor, and film critic based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. He is currently teaching at the Department of TV, Film and Media Arts of the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), where he lectures on the history and theory of cinema, film criticism, Kyrgyz cinema, and comparative studies of European and Japanese filmmaking. Usuvaliev earned his PhD (Candidate of Art Criticism) at the All-Russian Institute of Cinematography (VGIK, Moscow) in 2022, with a dissertation on the history of Soviet film art and the legacy of N.M. Iesuitov. He also completed his postgraduate and undergraduate studies at VGIK in Film Studies. Beyond academia, Usuvaliev is an independent filmmaker. Together with Nurzhamal Karamoldoeva, he co-directed the true crime documentary Who Is Next? (2023) about bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan. The film received the Special Jury Recognition at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, the Best National Film Award at the Bir Duino International Human Rights Film Festival, and was officially selected for the Alternativa Film Awards (Kazakhstan). He is also a member of FIPRESCI, head of the Independent Group of Film Critics of Kyrgyzstan, and curator of the Totoro Film Club at the Ch. Aitmatov Cinema House in Bishkek. He has served as a jury member and moderator at numerous international film festivals, including Eurasia IFF, DOKer, Bir Duino, Baiqonyr, Umut, and the SCO Film Festival (China, 2025). Usuvaliev has authored and edited several major publications, including Subjunctive: Conversations on the History of Soviet Cinema (2023), The Graceful Beauty of Dove-like Meekness: A Creative Portrait of Mikhail Kuznetsov (2024), and New Cinema in Kyrgyzstan (2025, published in English and Russian). His research articles have appeared in Studies in Russian and Soviet Cinema, Observatory of Culture, Seans, Iskusstvo Kino, and KinoKultura. He continues to combine academic research, filmmaking, and film criticism, contributing to the development of film studies and film culture in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. Courses taught:
Link to this block: https://www.auca.kg/en/tcma_faculty_staff/#b1260 |
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Nurzhamal Karamoldoeva Assistant Professor Nurzhamal Karamoldoeva is a filmmaker, educator, and civic engagement leader based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Center for Civic Engagement at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), where she oversees strategy, programs, partnerships, and international collaborations within the Open Society University Network (OSUN). She also teaches in AUCA’s TV, Film and Media Arts and Journalism and Mass Communications departments, offering courses such as Film Analysis and Criticism, Production Film Management, Gender and Media, and Visual Storytelling for Civic Engagement. Alongside her academic work, Karamoldoeva is an independent filmmaker whose documentaries and fiction films explore social, cultural, and environmental issues in Kyrgyzstan. Her recent works include Who is Next? (in post-production), the first true-crime documentary about bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan; Medrese (2021), winner of Best National Film at the XV Bir Duino International Film Festival; Oasis (2019), a documentary on environmental sustainability; and Frunze (2016), which screened at the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner. Before joining AUCA, she worked at the World Bank Country Office in Kyrgyzstan (2005–2011), supporting projects in agriculture, environment, and infrastructure. Karamoldoeva holds a Postgraduate Degree in Film and TV Directing from the Kyrgyz Film School, an MBA in Economic Analysis of Investment Projects from the Academy of Management under the President of Kyrgyz Republic, a B.S. in Accounting from Truman State University (USA), and a B.S. in International Journalism from Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University. She is actively involved in civic initiatives, including Afghan student mentorship programs, AUCA’s #CINEMAinAUCA series, and international film forums. She has served as a jury member at the 10th Bastau International Film Festival (Kazakhstan, 2022) and regularly collaborates with global academic and cultural networks through OSUN. Courses taught:
Link to this block: https://www.auca.kg/en/tcma_faculty_staff/#b1258 |
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Orozoeva Kanykei Instructor Kanykei Orozoeva (born 1992) is a filmmaker from Kyrgyzstan specializing in documentary and fiction cinema. She received her Master’s degree in Documentary Directing from the DocNomads European Mobile Film School (Portugal/Hungary/Belgium, 2020) and a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and International Communications from Kyrgyz International University (2016). Before her MA, she worked on various film and art projects in Kyrgyzstan and the UAE. She is the co-founder of “Jomokchu” film production studio and the public fund “Media Knowledge.” Her professional credits include directing, producing, and screenwriting for films and shorts such as Oliver (2019), Oasis of Democracy (2020), It’s Time for Civic Activism (2021), and In Search of Forgotten Cities (2021). She has also worked as a producer on animated and short films including Present for Future (2021), Shhh! (2021), and Cave of Warmth (2022–2023). Since 2022, she has been a part-time instructor at AUCA’s Department of Television, Cinema and Media Arts. Her films have received international recognition. Present for Future won multiple awards including the Save the Earth Award at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2022 (Japan) and the Audience Award at Mobile Film Festival 2021 (France). Shhh! won Best Short Film at Son of a Pitch 2022 (Italy) and jury and audience prizes at the Bordeaux Shorts Biennale (France). Her upcoming project The Last Mom on Earth received the Talent Nest Award at Meeting Point – Vilnius 2022 (Lithuania). Orozoeva has also participated in international workshops on producing, screenwriting, audience design, and film financing in Europe and Central Asia. She works in Kyrgyz, Russian, and English. Courses taught:
Link to this block: https://www.auca.kg/en/tcma_faculty_staff/#b1259 |
