In the early years of his career, Vagif Mustafayev shot nearly 50 satirical feature and documentary stories for the "Mozalan" newsreel. Vagif Mustafayev won his first film award in 1984 at the International Festival of Young Filmmakers in Moscow, receiving "Best Director" for his short film "Так надо" ("That's How It Should Be"). That same year, at the "Mosfilm" studio festival, his film "Хаш с музыкой" ("Khash with Music") was awarded "Best Screenplay". In 1985 he made the film comedy "The Kidnapping of the Groom". Vagif Mustafayev's 1988 film "Мерзавец" ("The Scoundrel") received the Grand Prix — the "Vittorio De Sica Gold Medal" — at the 1989 Naples-Sorrento International Film Festival, as well as "Charlie Chaplin's Golden Cane" award at the International Comedy Film Festival in Gabrovo, Bulgaria. The world-renowned film director Bernardo Bertolucci included "The Scoundrel" on his list of the 35 films he most admired worldwide. Vagif Mustafayev's 1991 feature film "Вне" ("Nakas") won the two main awards of the "Golden Eagle" International Film Festival in Tbilisi and the Gold Medal of the "European Turkish-Islamic Cultural Union" in Turkey. He wrote the screenplays for the short film ""The Japanese" and the Japanese Man" in 1990, "Стон" ("Cry") in 1993, and "Под кличкой Ика" ("Known as Ika") in 1994. In 1997 the film "Все к лучшему" ("All for the Best") received four awards at the A-category Oberhausen International Film Festival in Germany. Today the film "All for the Best" is preserved at the Oberhausen Film Museum. In 1998 the film received the Special Jury Prize at the International Film Festival in St. Petersburg. The film was included in a catalogue of the world's best films published in Texas. In 2001, at a film festival in Istanbul chaired by the renowned Italian director Ettore Scola, "All for the Best" received one of the main awards, the "Golden Attila". In 1998 Vagif Mustafayev made the films "The Frenchman" and "Between Heaven and Earth". His 2004 film "Национальная бомба" ("The National Bomb") was nominated at the A-category Moscow International Film Festival. It received the Grand Prix at the International Film Festival in Smolensk, Russia. At the International Film Festival in Varna, Bulgaria, "The National Bomb" was awarded the "St. Clement of Ohrid" prize. His 2006 eight-part feature film "Проверка" ("The Check") won the Grand Prix of the Eurasian Teleforum held in Moscow. Vagif Mustafayev is the author of 12 documentary films dedicated to National Leader Heydar Aliyev. Three of these films — "About True Love", "The History of an Envy" and "Special Purpose" — received the Grand Prix of the Eurasian Teleforum held in Moscow. In 2018 Vagif Mustafayev made the documentary film "I Carry My Grief", dedicated to the Khojaly tragedy, and in 2022 he produced the feature film "Life Seems Beautiful" ("Жизнь как будто хороша") and the feature-documentary film "Fikrat Amirov". For "Life Seems Beautiful" he was named "Best Director of the Turkic World" at the "Korkut Ata" International Film Festival held in Turkey. Having served as chair of the jury at many international film festivals, Vagif Mustafayev has been awarded the academic title of professor by the Higher Attestation Commission. He teaches film directing at the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts.
