Kamen Kalev debuted with his feature film "Eastern Plays" (2009), selected in the Directors' Fortnight in Cannes and nominated for the "Camera d'Or". The film won a number of international awards, including the Grand Jury Prize in Warsaw and awards for direction and best film in Tokyo.

His second film, The Island (2011), starring Toure Lindhart and Leticia Casta, was also shown at Cannes and established Kalev as an auteur who is not afraid to experiment.

In 2014, his short film "Dear Night" was included in the omnibus project

"The Bridges of Sarajevo" together with works by Jean-Luc Godard, Sergei Loznitsa, Christie Puyu and others.

In 2020, "February" was selected in the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival - Kalev's sixth participation in the most prestigious film festival in the world.