AIK KARAPETIAN completed his studies in audio-visual arts at the Latvian Academy of Culture and earned a master’s degree in film direction from Académie Internationale des Arts – ESEC in Paris. His debut feature film, People Out There, received international recognition following its premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2012.

Aik's career continued to rise with the success of his horror film The Man in the Orange Jacket, which premiered at Fantasia Montreal, BFI London Film Festival, and Fantastic Fest Austin in 2014. His thriller Firstborn further established his reputation, screening at Sitges, Fantastic Fest, and Paris International Film Festival in 2017.

In addition to his film work, Aik has achieved notable success in opera. His productions of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Gounod’s Faust at the Latvian National Opera were acclaimed as the Best Stage Productions of their respective seasons (2011 and 2016). He also directed Bizet’s Carmen at the Opéra National de Montpellier in France in 2018 and Faust at Trondheim Symphony Orchestra &Opera in Norway in 2019.

Aik's film Squeal (also known as Samuel’s Travels) was distributed in the U.S. on platforms such as Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and Vudu, and was shown in theaters including Alamo Drafthouse NY and Lumiere Cinema LA. The film was also acquired by HBO.

His theatre production Felikss, Anatolijs and Ilona at the JRT achieved commercial success. Most recently, his film The Brazen won several National Film Awards, including Best Director, Best Cinematographer, Best Art Director, and Best Composer.