From a small town in Füzuli to the stages and institutions of a nation’s cultural life — every step along the way left something behind.
A Family of Artists
The Legacy Continues
Born in Dədəli, Füzuli
The story begins
Gəray Əlibayov was born on 29 March 1955 in the village of Dədəli, in the Füzuli district of Azerbaijan. He attended school locally before moving on to study the arts.
1955
1973–77
Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts
Where it all started
From 1973 to 1977, he trained at the Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts (M.A. Əliyev), the foundation that would carry him into acting, theatre, and later film production.
Film debut, Tütək səsi
A career begins on screen
He made his on-screen debut in Tütək səsi (The Sound of a Pipe), directed by Rasim Ocaqov — his first credited feature film role, and the start of a career that would move between acting, stage work, and cultural leadership.
1975
1977
Sevinc buxtası
A second film, a growing career
Two years after his debut, he appeared in Sevinc buxtası, continuing his run as a feature film actor during the 1970s.
Gözlə məni
A voice behind the story
He lent his voice to the role of Rəsul in Gözlə məni, a film that tells the story of an ordinary soldier's love during wartime.
1980
1985
Qanlı zəmi
Closing a decade on screen
He appeared in Qanlı zəmi, closing out a decade-long run across four feature films.
Sumqayıt State Theatre
From the stage to leadership
Alongside his film work, he took the stage at Sumqayıt State Theatre as an actor, later stepping into a leadership role as director of the theatre's Veteran Club.
1986–88
1990–93
Director, Araz Cinema
A first step into leadership
Having joined as deputy director in 1988, he was appointed full Director of Araz Cinema in 1990 — his first major administrative post in the film industry, held through 1993.
President, "Elşad K"
From cinema to enterprise
Between 1996 and 2000, he served as president of the company "Elşad K," continuing his shift from performance into leadership and enterprise.
1996–2000
2005
Əsilzadələr Assembly
A formal recognition
In 2005, he became a member of the Azerbaijan Əsilzadələr Assembly (Certificate No. 565), formally recognized within the country's assembly of noble lineage.
Chairman, Cultural Development Center
Eighteen years of cultural leadership
From 2007, Gəray Əlibayov chaired the Cultural Development Center Public Union — leading cultural initiatives, heritage preservation efforts, and public programming across Azerbaijan during this period.
2007
2008
Director, ULUS FİLM
Building a home for new films
In 2008, he became director of the ULUS FİLM Producer Center, extending his cultural leadership into film production and giving new projects a place to grow.
Documentary filmmaking
Stories of memory and homeland
Between 2016 and 2020, he wrote and directed a series of short documentary and ethnographic films — including "Şəhidliyə aparan yol" (2016), "Şəhidlik Zirvəsi" (2017), "Vətən aşiqi" (2017), "Qazi" (2017), "Anama deyin..." (2018), and "Qarabağda görüşənədək" (2019) — many centered on themes of memory, sacrifice, and homeland.
2016–2020
2017
Editor-in-chief, Simurq.info
A voice in cultural media
In 2017, he also took on the role of editor-in-chief at Simurq.info, a cultural news platform.
Chairman, Public Council
Shaping cultural policy
In July 2021, he was appointed Chairman of the Public Council under Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture, a role focused on shaping cultural policy and public engagement.
