About JupiterLights Media

HONEST STORIES.
AUTHENTIC VOICES.

JupiterLights Media develops and produces bold, internationally minded stories that elevate underrepresented Balkan and Eastern European voices — while empowering a new wave of young talent through personalised training, mentorship, and industry-focused creative education. With a focus on mental health and maintaining a happy, thriving artistic life.

#PowerToActor    #BeKindToYaMind

Empowering the next generation
of Balkan artists.

11+

Years in the industry

14+

Distribution territories worldwide

30+

Workshops & masterclasses delivered

A-list

TIFF · BFI · Berlinale · Bulgarian Oscar Submission 2025

Main portrait — upload in Admin → Pages → About

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Our Founder

Julian Kostov

Actor · Director · Producer · Founder

Julian Kostov is a multilingual Bulgarian actor, director and producer based in London. He made history as the first Bulgarian actor to star on stage in London's West End, earning critical acclaim for his performance in the five-star National Theatre production Till the Stars Come Down (2025). In 2026 he became only the second Bulgarian actor to receive a SAG-AFTRA Actor Award nomination, recognised as part of The White Lotus ensemble. Known for his native-level American accent and meticulous dialect and language work, he has portrayed characters from over 10 nationalities throughout his career.

Kostov first received critical acclaim for his performance in the period drama Another Mother's Son (2017). He stars as Aleksei in Season 3 of HBO's The White Lotus and is widely recognised for his role as Fedyor Kaminsky in Netflix's Shadow and Bone. He portrayed the iconic villain Vladimir Makarov in the blockbuster remake Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III — one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. His recent screen work includes Budd Berserk in The Toxic Avenger reboot, Aaron Hunter in Fight or Flight, and multiple voice roles in James Gunn's DC Universe animated series Creature Commandos.

As founder of JupiterLights Media and co-founder of Five Oceans with Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova, Julian has produced multiple award-winning feature films, TV series and short films. He produced and starred in Triumph (TIFF, BFI London Film Festival) — Bulgaria's official submission for the 2025 Academy Awards. A passionate advocate for the equal representation of Slavic and Balkan artists in the entertainment industry, he actively challenges harmful stereotypes and works to normalise foreign accents on screen. In recognition of his cultural impact across Europe, he was named a European Young Leader (EYL40) in 2023. He is currently writing and directing Robert De Niro Is My Father — his debut feature — and producing the thriller Screened.

Born in Varna, Kostov is a former Bulgarian national swimming champion — a background that informs the discipline and physical precision he brings to his craft.

SAG-AFTRA Nomination 2026 The White Lotus — HBO Shadow and Bone — Netflix Till the Stars Come Down — National Theatre / West End Another Mother's Son Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III The Toxic Avenger Fight or Flight Creature Commandos — DC / James Gunn Berlin Station Ben Hur European Young Leader 2023 Triumph — TIFF · Oscar Submission 2025 Berlinale Series — Shattered Bonds
IMDb ↗ Instagram ↗ TEDx Talk ↗ Book as Speaker ↗

Our Story

2014

Foundation

JupiterLights is Born

Julian Kostov founded JupiterLights Productions in 2014 with a clear vision: to organise workshops where actors feel empowered, and to bridge Bulgarian talent with the international entertainment industry. The seed of #PowerToActor.

2014–

Education · Talks · Training

Workshops, Masterclasses & a TEDx

JupiterLights started by organising Casting Director workshops in London with Nancy Bishop, Andrea Clark and Jane Frisby. We then produced seven intensive masterclasses in Sofia with Anthony Meindl's Actor Workshop — one of the most prestigious acting studios in the world — bringing world-class training to Bulgarian actors on home ground. Since then Julian has led numerous actor workshops of his own: Acting Dojo and Self-Tape, Audition Technique & Business of the Actor workshops. He has also delivered free seminars at IV Language High School in Varna (his alma mater), industry talks across Bulgaria, and a TEDx — Finding Meaning Beyond Success — at TEDxVitosha in 2022.

Watch the TEDx Talk ↗

2019–20

Production · Distribution

Championing Bold Cinema — International Breakthrough

JupiterLights produced The Dare, achieving distribution across 14+ territories including Lionsgate UK, Dutch FilmWorks and Universal Sony, with approximately €3M in Benelux theatrical revenue. Julian Kostov and Giles Alderson then added a sales and distribution arm, launching with Bullets of Justice — a genre-defying grindhouse parody sold to The Horror Collective (North America), Germany, Japan and beyond.

2021

Talent · History

First Bulgarian International Talent Agency & Maria Bakalova

JupiterLights launched the first Bulgarian agency representing actors and directors for the international market — with agents in London and Sofia. The agency's defining achievement was discovering and managing Maria Bakalova, leading directly to her casting in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm — which earned her a historic Academy Award nomination, a SAG nomination, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe nomination. That mentorship and management relationship evolved into co-founding Five Oceans production company, of which JupiterLights owns 50% and Bakalova is a producing partner. The talent management arm has since closed, but its legacy is undeniable.

2023

Recognition

European Young Leader

In recognition of his cultural impact across Europe and his work bridging Eastern European talent with the international entertainment industry, Julian Kostov was named a European Young Leader (EYL40) in 2023 — joining a community of Europe's most influential young change-makers.

2024

Production · Direction

Triumph — TIFF Platform, Bulgarian Oscar Submission

JupiterLights's daughter company Five Oceans produced Triumph, selected in TIFF's Platform Competition and chosen as Bulgaria's official submission for the 2025 Academy Awards for Best International Film. The same year, Julian Kostov made his directorial debut with Red Market, selected at the Golden Rose Film Festival.

2024–

Short Films · Music · Advertising

Short Films, Music Videos & Commercials

Julian has produced music videos, directed his debut short film Red Market, and directed brand commercials including Samsung, Johnnie Walker, Happy Restaurant London and Takeaway.com.

2026

Now

A New Chapter

Reborn as JupiterLights Media — a production house and Actor Academy. With a bold development slate, a workshop programme and online course launching, and Robert De Niro Is My Father in active development, the mission is clearer than ever: Honest stories. Authentic voices. Empowering the next generation of Balkan artists. #PowerToActor

Corporate Responsibility

We use our platform
for good.

Art has the power to change minds, shift culture and save lives. JupiterLights Media is committed to using its platform — in film, television and education — to champion causes that matter.

#BeKindToYaMind

Anti-Bullying

We actively support anti-bullying initiatives and use our productions and platform to amplify stories that challenge intimidation, exclusion and abuse of power.

Equality & Representation

Equal opportunity regardless of background, nationality, gender or identity. We champion diverse voices both in front of and behind the camera.

Youth Violence Prevention

Our production Shattered Bonds was featured at the Berlinale EFM showcase Narratives Against Rising Youth Violence. We believe cinema can be part of the solution.

Mental Health for Artists

The industry can be brutal. We prioritise mental health in everything we do — in how we work, how we train, and how we talk about what it means to be an artist. #BeKindToYaMind

What We Stand For

Bold Storytelling

We make and support films that have something to say — stories rooted in a specific place and culture that speak to universal human truths.

Real Representation

Eastern European and Balkan characters beyond the clichés — with complexity, humour and humanity. We actively work to expand how our region is seen on screen.

#PowerToActor

Actors are the heart of what we do. We invest in their craft, their careers and their wellbeing — because a thriving artist makes better work.

JupiterLights Actor Academy

Since 2014 we have run workshops, masterclasses, talks and mentorship programmes. The Academy is not a side project — it is one of our founding reasons for existing. A physical space is the long-term goal.

Mental Health & Wellbeing

The industry is hard. We take mental health seriously — in how we work, how we teach, and what we build. A happy artist is a better artist.

International Ambition

We are not making local films for local audiences. We are making films from a specific place, for the world — and building the infrastructure to get them there.