Jahangir Mehdiyev was born on 13 January 1951 in Baku. His father was a civil servant, and his mother was a homemaker. He graduated from Secondary School No. 158 and Music School No. 12 in Baku. He took his first steps in the arts at the age of 6, appearing in director Latif Safarov's film "Baku and Bakuvians." From 1968 he studied theatre and television film directing at the Mirza Aliyev Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts. In 1969 he appeared as an actor in the feature film "Dali Kur." In 1973, as his diploma work, he staged the play "Love, Love" at the Azerbaijan National Academic Drama Theatre, as well as the television play "Humorous Novellas" for the literary drama and arts editorial office of the Azerbaijan State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. In 1973 he graduated from the institute with excellent grades and began working as an assistant director for feature films at the Jafar Jabbarli Azerbaijanfilm Studio. In 1974, on assignment from the Jafar Jabbarli Azerbaijanfilm Studio, he was sent to Moscow to take the entrance exam for the film directing faculty of the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography, which he passed successfully and was admitted. In 1979 he graduated from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography with excellent grades and began working as a director at the Jafar Jabbarli Azerbaijanfilm Studio. In 1979 his short feature film "Diploma Work" was screened at film festivals in Karlovy Vary (Czechoslovakia), Oberhausen and Mannheim (Germany), and Bilbao (Spain), and was awarded prizes and diplomas. In 1980 he worked as a stage director for the mass theatrical performance on Lenin Square in Baku dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Azerbaijan SSR. For this work he was awarded a prize and diploma of the Azerbaijan SSR. In 1980, at the "Debut" studio (the Youth Experimental Creative Association) established under Mosfilm Studio, he was the director of the film comedy "Vakh!" ("Bıy!"). At the 11th International Film Festival held at Mosfilm Studio in 1980, "Vakh!" won the award for "Best Directing," and at the film festival in Minsk it won the award for "Best Comedy." From 1979 to 1998 he worked as a director, stage director, screenwriter and actor at the Jafar Jabbarli Azerbaijanfilm Studio. From 1990 to 1995 he served as executive director of the Azerbaijan Republic Culture Fund. From 1998 to 2007 he was director and artistic director of the "Mozalan" studio. In 1998 he was awarded the honorary title of Honoured Coach of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and in 2000 the honorary title of Honoured Art Worker of the Republic of Azerbaijan. From 1998 to 2007 he was vice-president of the Bowling Federation. From 2001 to 2005 he was the director, host and author of the sports and physical education television programme series "A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body" on Lider TV. On 25 August 2005 he attended the 75th anniversary celebration of the world-renowned film director and People's Artist of the USSR Georgi Nikolayevich Daneliya, held at the "President Hotel" in Moscow. At the celebration, the presentation of Daneliya's two-volume book (Volume 1: The Passenger Without a Ticket; Volume 2: The Toasted One Drinks to the Bottom) took place. The first volume discusses the relationship between Jahangir Mehdiyev and his teacher and course supervisor, G. Daneliya. The second volume includes a story titled "The Mirror," dedicated to Jahangir Mehdiyev. The protagonist of this story is also Jahangir Mehdiyev. On 1 April 2006, at the award ceremony for the 25th International Prize held at the "Intercontinental Zurich Hotel" in Zurich, he was awarded, by decision of the selection committee, the highest international award "Leader in Prestige and Quality — Europe 2006" as Director-Artistic Head of the "Mozalan" studio. On 30 January 2007 he donated this award as a memento to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. From 2007 to 2016 he worked as a top-category director at Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting CJSC (within the Azerbaijantelefilm Creative Association). He retired in 2016. Since 2011 he has worked as head of the filming crew at the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He is a member of the New Azerbaijan Party.
