Director at AFIN

Biography

Daria Lebedeva is a Russian director and screenwriter from Ivanovo, the author of short and feature fiction films and the founder of the screenwriting academy “In the Opening Credits.” Early years and education Daria Lebedeva was born on May 4, 1990, in Ivanovo, Russia. In 2009, she graduated from the Ivanovo Art College named after M. I. Malyutin with a degree in Design and Printing. After college, Lebedeva studied at the Saint Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences (SPbGUP), majoring in Advertising and Public Relations, completing her studies around 2012 - 2013. Later she graduated from the Bondarchuk Film School “Industry” and also trained at other film schools and courses, including Alexander Mitta’s Film School, where she studied screenwriting and directing. Films and creative work One of Daria Lebedeva’s notable short films is “Every 88,” a 2015 film about people with autism that attracted attention from both the public and film festivals. The film was shot with the support of the local community in Ivanovo and became an important milestone for her, both as a social statement and as a directing project. Daria’s first feature film was the romantic comedy “Driving Me Crazy,” which premiered in 2025. For this film, in 2026 she received the main award of the “MOST” Film Festival and became a laureate of the Moscow Art Theatre Award, winning the prize “Major Breakthrough in Cinema” as a director and emerging talent. She also became the main subject of Tatiana Fedyunina’s documentary film “Driving Me Crazy. Debut Chronicles.” Teaching and screenwriting academy In addition to directing, Daria is the founder and head of the screenwriting academy “In the Opening Credits,” aimed at authors who need a “fast track” into the industry to write and sell their first script. According to Lebedeva, most of the academy’s students are already mature individuals, and many graduates successfully enter the film and television industry. In 2025, the film “Not-So-Holy Valentine,” written by one of her graduates, was released. Currently in production are the films “The Big Wave” and “Snowy Eight,” also written within the “In the Opening Credits” academy. The short film “Scary lullaby” was written in the academy’s short film course by Anna Nikiforova. Filmography “On the Way” (2013), short film - director, screenwriter “One Love” (2013), short film - director “Every 88” (2015), short film - director, screenwriter “On Different Sides” (2021), short film - director, screenwriter “Cheat Meal” (2022), short film - director, screenwriter “Kotya” (2023), short film - director, screenwriter “Driving Me Crazy” (2025), feature film - director, screenwriter