Michelle Karaivanov is a British-Bulgarian writer and director born in Johannesburg, South Africa. At the age of four, she moved with her family to England, where she was raised, deeply influenced by both her British upbringing and Bulgarian heritage.

Her passion for filmmaking was sparked by the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the work of visionary directors like Baz Luhrmann. As a teenager, she began creating short films with a Sony camcorder, often casting family members in her early, experimental projects.

Karaivanov holds a BA (Hons) in Digital Film Production from Ravensbourne University and an MA in Film Theory, Culture & Industry from the University of Westminster. Her short films, including PRINCESS, Spaghetti, and live, love, learn, explore themes of identity, womanhood, and coming of age.

She is currently developing her debut feature film, set in Bulgaria, which explores the complexities of growing up between two cultures. Her creative influences include contemporary female filmmakers such as Rose Glass, Celine Song, and Chloé Zhao, whose work continues to shape her own thematic and visual approach.

Expanding her storytelling range, Karaivanov has written a female-led, Taken-style action film and a sci-fi television series. Alongside developing her own projects, she works as a production coordinator at Actors Studio, based at Pinewood Studios, where she continues to hone her directing skills by collaborating with a variety of actors-some of whom she has also cast in her short films.

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Michelle Karaivanov

Director

Writer

Producer

Editor

Second Unit or Assistant Director

Production Department