Born in 1939 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Graduated from the Azerbaijani Oil and Chemistry Institute (1962) and the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors (1967 – department of scriptwriting, 1974 – department of directing). Wrote more than 50 scripts of feature and TV movies including «White Sun of the Desert» (1969) by Vladimir Motyl, «Birthday» (1977) and «Interrogation» (1979) by Rasim Ojagov, «Guard Me, My Talisman» (1986) by Roman Balayan, «East -West» (1999) by Regis Wargnier, «Mysteries» (2000) by Mikhail Kalatozishvili, «The Heart of the Bear» (2001) by Arvo Iho, Nikita Mikhalkov’s films «A Calm Day in the End of War» (1970), «Hitch-Hiking» (1990), «Territory of Love» (1991), «Burnt by the Sun» (1994), «The Barber of Siberia» (1998) and others.
Author of several prose collections. His plays were staged in many theatres worldwide. Staged his own plays. Founder of the film company «Ibrus». Directed the movies: «The Man Who Tried Hard» (1996), «The Family» (1998), «Helpline» (2001). Since 1989 works as a producer, produced the well-known movies «Taxi-Blues» by Pavel Lungin, «Dyuba-Dyuba» by Alexander Khvan, «To See Paris and Die» by Alexander Proshkin, the large-scale international project «Nomad: the Warrior» and many others. Winner of numerous professional prizes and awards. Member of the European Film Academy and the American Academy of Motion Pictures. Chairman of the Confederation of Filmmakers’ Unions of the CIS and the Baltic States, Chairman of the Filmmakers’Union of Azerbaijan. Honored Writer of Azerbaijan. Founder and Chairman of the Cultural Center of Azerbaijan in Moscow. Merited Worker of Arts of Russia. Was awarded the Order «For the Merits to the Motherland» of the III degree.
The Government of the Ivanovo Region