[citation needed] A recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Award, Gardev specialized at Northwestern University’s School of Communication in the United States.

[citation needed] Since 2022 he works as resident stage director at The National Theatre of Bulgaria in Sofia.

[citation needed] Among his most famous stage productions are: The Pillowman (2004), Caligula (2008), A Behanding in Spokane (2011), and Almost an Evening (2013).

[2] Gardev won the Silver St. George for Best Director in Main Competition at the 30th Moscow International Film Festival.

Until 2009 when its domestic record was broken, it was the highest grossing Bulgarian feature film since the prior two decades.