Our Members
Christian Gessl
General Secretary of UAFMA
Christian Gessl is an economist (MBA) with over 40 years of experience in international economic development, trade promotion, and institutional capacity building. He has led projects across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and Latin America, focusing on SME development, public-private dialogue, value chain upgrading, and investment promotion. Christian’s career includes senior roles with the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and extensive work as an independent consultant for EU, UN, and international donor programmes. He is highly skilled in organizational and institutional development for business associations, export promotion, and strategy consulting, with sectoral expertise in agri-food, textiles, tourism, and green economy. Fluent in German, English, Russian, and French, with working knowledge of Uzbek and Spanish, he brings strong intercultural communication and leadership skills. Christian is committed to empowering entrepreneurs, fostering sustainable growth, and building inclusive economic opportunities, especially for women, youth, and marginalized communities.
Umida Akhmedova – Documentary Photographer and Cinematographer
Member of UAFMA
Born in Parkent (Tashkent Province) in 1955, Umida Akhmedova graduated the All-Union State University of Cinematography in 1986. She is recognised as Uzbekistan’s first female cinematographer. During the 1980s, she worked at the Uzbekistan Documentary and Popular Science Film Studio.
Since the early 2000s, Akhmedova has pursued an independent career in filmmaking and photography. Her documentary work and artistic reflections explore the impact of social and political conditions on everyday life in Uzbekistan. Her subjects include ordinary citizens in urban settings, villagers from Parkent and other regions, as well as friends and members of the artistic community. She collaborates closely with her husband and film director, Oleg Karpov.
In 2012, Akhmedova was legally charged in connection with her film Burden of Virginity and the photo album Women and Men: From Dawn to Dusk, accused of “slander” and “insult.” The charges were later dropped following international advocacy from human rights organisations.
In 2016, Akhmedova was awarded the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent. Despite her international acclaim, her first exhibition in Uzbekistan took place only in 2017 at the private gallery ZERO LINE.
Oleg Karpov – Filmmaker, Photo and Video Archivist
Member of UAFMA
Oleg Karpov is a prominent figure in Uzbekistan’s independent cinema. He works in close partnership with his wife, cinematographer and photographer Umida Akhmedova.
From 2007 to 2017, he curated VIDEOART.uz – the Independent Cinema Festival, which provided foundational training for emerging filmmakers and offered a platform for showcasing their work.
Since 2013, he has been collecting and cataloguing private and public photo and video archives from Uzbekistan, spanning the 19th and 20th centuries. Karpov’s collection, known as the Turkestan Photographic Archive, comprises tens of thousands of items.
Natalia Shulepina – Environmental Journalist
Member of UAFMA
Natalia Shulepina began her career at the editorial office of Pravda Vostoka. In 2009, she founded the environmental website SREDA.UZ, which now hosts thousands of articles and photographs. She is the author of two books: Under the Sign of the Aral Sea and Several Stories Against the Backdrop of Low Water, and has edited four anthologies entitled Simply Writing About the Environment.
Shulepina’s filmography includes Impressions of the Aral Sea and Four Days Around the Aral Sea, as well as the scripts and direction for Aral Audit, Don’t Be Angry, Desert, On the Edge of the Aralkum Desert, and Changes in the Kyzylkum.
Bakhtiyor Nurkhanov – Mechanical Engineer and Head of Engineering Services
Member of UAFMA
Bakhtiyor Nurkhanov graduated from the Tashkent Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Aircraft Construction. He later undertook training in economics and management at Körber College (Hamburg, Germany) and the School of Management and Sales (Küblis, Switzerland).
He began his career as a design engineer in aviation and gas technologies, subsequently managing projects in the automotive and industrial sectors. Since 2018, Nurkhanov has held the position of Head of Engineering at UzgerMedPharm.
From an early age, he was actively involved in the Sirius Amateur Film Studio at the Tashkent Palace of Culture for Aviation Engineers. He contributed to the production of fifteen amateur films, several of which he authored. He participated in numerous festivals and showcases dedicated to amateur cinema, receiving awards and honours at both national and international levels.
Nurkhanov has been an UAFMA member since the 1980s. He possesses in-depth knowledge of the history of the amateur film movement in Uzbekistan and maintains longstanding connections with many of its key contributors.
Membership Opportunities
Become part of a dedicated network of filmmakers and creatives working to promote cinematic arts and cultural dialogue. We welcome new voices and fresh perspectives.
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