Asif Rustamov was born in 1975 in Baku (Azerbaijan) and studied at the private Economic University (1992-1995) and Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Art (2000-2004) – cinema department, film director faculty. His filmography includes shorts and documentaries, which have screened at and been awarded by many international festivals. In 2014 his debut feature Down The River premiered at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, participated in many festivals, and won several prizes. Cofounder of the Association of Young Filmmakers of Azerbaijan, he is one of the editors of the film magazine “Focus”.