Ben Kadie has tracked down an elusive criminal on the streets of a grimy city, orchestrated an air attack behind enemy lines, and has visited a pharaohs grave – all before his 15 birthday.

He travels through time and space, sharing his innovation, creativity and unbridled imagination with the rest of the world.

He is an amateur filmmaker.

The Bellevue resident is a freshman at Interlake High School where he is rehearsing a role for Footloose, the spring musical. He is a young man of many talents including directing, writing, acting and film editing.

Ben first began making films with his friend Noah Hirsch when he was in the third grade and became more serious about it during the last three to four years.

“Over the years, I have become more interested in the technical side of filmmaking as far as special effects and storytelling techniques,” explained Ben, whose speciality is film noir. “I like to explore a lot of fantasy and I ask a lot of ‘what if’ questions.”

His creativity and hard work won him two national medals from the National Scholastic Art & Writing Award earlier this month.

He was awarded the gold medal for his film “Sparks in the Night” and he won silver for “Murder at the Pharaoh’s Grave.”

Ben joins a long list of prestigious names who have received the Scholastic award including Andy Warhol, Robert Redford and John Lithgow. More than 150,000 works were submitted this year with fewer than 600 receiving a national gold medal.

Ben’s latest win is one of many in his short-lived film career.

His films have been shown at festivals in Brazil, India, Canada, and in many parts of the US.

Last year, he won an HBO-trip to Hollywood for his short films and had the opportunity to tour studio backlots and meet industry folk.

Ben aspires to be like such famous filmmakers as the Coen brothers, the directors behind such films as The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men and Burn After Reading.

“I love the Coen brothers’ work because it’s always very funny and creative and is delivered with some sort of deeper message,” Ben said.

He is mostly self taught, but has also attended classes at the Seattle Film Institute. His films take anywhere from a month to a year to complete.

In March, he won the top award in the Student Division of the Louisiana Film Festival and last year he won the top award at the Seattle Times Three-Minute Movie Contest.

His film “Sparks in the Night” will screen as part of the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) in Seattle on May 1. This is will mark Ben’s fourth year and fifth film at NFFTY.

To view his latest short film, “Sparks in the Night”, visit here.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at 425-453-4602.