Sasha Timan is a Russian-American writer, director, producer, and a graduate of UCLA’s MFA Film Production program. Her work spans narrative and documentary film, often exploring themes of human connection, cross-cultural identity, and emotional resilience.

Before fully committing to filmmaking, Sasha worked as a TV news producer in Moscow and Washington, D.C., and as a lead producer on investigative documentaries for a primetime public affairs program in Russia.

Her investigative projects focused on social issues that deeply affected the lives of ordinary people. In this work, she became increasingly drawn to the central figures in these stories - the very people who had committed the wrongdoing. Their unexpected motivations, contradictions, and personal histories revealed complex character arcs that fascinated her far more than the act itself, a perspective that continues to shape her narrative work today.

Her UCLA films have screened internationally and earned multiple awards, including Best Student Film at the LA Indies, Santa Barbara, and Poppy Jasper Film Festivals. Her thesis film, Timelessness—starring acclaimed Russian actress Darya Ekamasova (Anora)—follows a pianist seeking asylum at the U.S.–Mexico border after a devastating injury derails her career.

In her upcoming projects, Sasha aims to explore the essence of human nature—what connects us, what unites us, and how we find meaning across cultures. She is drawn to stories that tap into universal emotion and the quiet threads of empathy that bind us as human beings.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs.