Bogdan Darev

Mr. Darev experienced a rich early life in and around Bulgaria. The capital city Sofia, the picturesque mountain ranges and the Black Sea coast gave his childhood a depth of sensitivity to both nature's beauty and the city's grit. His grandmother was a critically acclaimed theater director and his grandfather an accomplished stage actor. For 18 years, Mr. Darev’s mother was the editor-in-chief for Bulgaria’s only Theater Magazine. His early introduction to the theater, his other grandfather's short stories and father's poetry, have given him a strong sense of artistry evident in his writing and craft. Growing up, Mr. Darev was exposed to life under communism and later witnessed first-hand the hardships facing an emerging democracy. By 1992, due to the increasingly dangerous political climate in Bulgaria, Mr. Darev and his family fled to Greece and later the USA. Mr. Darev settled in Seattle where he kept writing while attending acting school at Northwest Actors Studio. After graduating he acted and assistant directed for the stage in and around Seattle. In 2000, Mr. Darev graduated at the top of his class from University of Washington’s Film and Video Program. Mr. Darev started his first company at age twenty-five to make his acclaimed short film the Angel. Reviewer Phil Hall wrote, “ ‘The Angel’ is now making its way around the festival circuit. With luck, it will be seen by industry movers and shakers with serious clout and Bogdan Darev can quickly find his way to the A-list success he is richly deserving.” In 2005, Mr. Darev took a job as a manager at Bellevue Square Red Robin Restaurant with annual revenue of five million dollars. There, Mr. Darev honed his leadership skills learning how to manage people, cut costs, keep inventory and turn a profit all the while delivering a quality dining experience and helping grow the company. Mr. Darev turned down an opportunity to become a General Manager at the company so he could start Image Mind Light and follow his lifelong dream of making films. Since then, he has written and directed two more short films growing the company. All the while, writing and developing the screenplay for “The Singing Ship: Children of Time” - the first of three fantasy adventure films with a strong spiritual message for children and adults alike.