By Mohamadreza Seyedagha
TEHRAN – The Iranian animated feature “The Legend of Sepehr,” directed by Emad Rahmani and Mehrdad Mehrabi, has recently started its theatrical run in Iran after achieving global success.
A production of 2024, “The Legend of Sepehr” has so far attended several international festivals and won some awards, including the Best Animation award at the New York International Film Awards (NYIFA) and the Best Feature-length Animation award at the Tanzanite International Film Festival.
The Tehran Times has conducted an interview with Emad Rahmani, one of the directors of the animation, in which he explains various aspects of the work.
Speaking about where the idea and story came from and how the project took shape, Rahmani said: “This is the second feature-length animated film that I have written and co-directed, together with Mehrdad Mehrabi. Before this, we had the experience of making another feature animation, “The Boy and the Sword and Sorrow,” which enjoyed a successful international distribution and was released on platforms such as Amazon Prime and Apple TV+. However, that animation was not produced solely for children, but for adults as well”.
“After that experience, we realized that in Iran, animation is still received more enthusiastically within the children's age groups. So, for our second project, we consciously decided to move toward a story that could resonate more strongly with younger audiences. This is where the core idea of ‘The Legend of Sepehr’ was born: creating an Iranian hero, a child protagonist with whom young viewers could connect and identify,” he added.
“We knew that the only way children truly engage with an animated film is through identification with the character. So, we focused heavily on how to build that bond, how to move the story forward, and how to shape the world. We turned to an ancient, myth-inspired narrative and designed a character whose visual identity and overall design are deeply influenced by elements of Iranian culture,” he noted.
Although the film is deeply rooted in Iranian identity, mythology, and cultural heritage, the directors aimed to create a more universal visual and narrative language so that audiences beyond Iran could also connect with the film.
“From the very beginning, our target audience was not limited to Iranian children alone. Our approach was to create a work that belongs to us, drawn from our stories, our culture, and our identity, while still being accessible and enjoyable for everyone,” Rahmani stressed.
“In fact, the international response confirmed that this approach worked. ‘The Legend of Sepehr’ has attended more than 15 international festivals and received numerous awards. It won prizes in the United States, China, Japan, and several Latin American countries,” he stated.
“One particularly notable example is a well-known children’s festival in the United States called Kids First, which is somewhat similar to our International Film Festival for Children and Youth, annually held in Isfahan, in that children themselves attend screenings and provide feedback. We won an award there, and many of the analyses and reviews emphasized how refreshing it was to see a hero with a different cultural background and a distinct narrative foundation,” the director explained.
“In terms of international distribution, the film is being released in Russia and the CIS region, and its European distribution is currently being handled by a European producer, with negotiations underway,” he underlined.
“The Legend of Sepehr” is a sweeping animated adventure that blends mythology, humor, and heart in a vibrant feature-length epic. In a world where ancient tales breathe life into every corner, young Sepehr and his loyal cheetah companion Baboo set out on a brave quest to confront the looming darkness of Ahriman, a force determined to cast the world into eternal shadow.
Their journey begins on a peaceful island but quickly unfolds into chaos, wonder, and unforgettable encounters. From battling strange creatures to meeting eccentric allies, Sepehr and Baboo discover that courage often comes wrapped in laughter, and that even in the face of overwhelming darkness, a bright spirit can be the most powerful weapon of all.
A cinematic whirlwind of heroics, humor, and friendship, “The Legend of Sepehr” stands as a testament to bold storytelling and imaginative world-building.
When asked about co-directing the animation with Mehrdad Mehrabi, Rahmani said: “Working with Mehrdad is genuinely enjoyable for me. He is a thoughtful, intelligent filmmaker with a deep love for cinema. Our collaboration is based on a clear division of responsibilities. I am more involved in the earlier stages, developing storyboards, shaping the visual narrative, and coordinating with artists, while Mehrdad focuses more on the later stages, such as layout, refining movements, and finalizing the animation work”.
“This is actually our third collaboration together, including a project submitted to this year’s Fajr Film Festival. Beyond just the two of us, we’ve worked hard to maintain a consistent core team from the very beginning. This continuity allows the team to grow collectively, gain experience, identify weaknesses in each project, and improve with every new work,” he elaborated.
Emad Rahmani, 36, is the CEO at Permanent Way Entertainment, a game and animation studio. He has managed and directed more than 20 projects. He has also published plenty of game screenplays and essays.
On the current state and future of the animation industry in Iran, Rahmani said: “I believe the Iranian animation industry is moving forward with strong momentum. If we look at festivals like Fajr, there were periods when we had only one or two animated films, or sometimes none at all, for several consecutive years. In recent years, however, we have seen multiple feature-length animations being produced and screened in the same year. This is a very positive sign”.
“This indicates that production has become more continuous and competitive. Competition ultimately benefits the audience because quality becomes increasingly important. As a result, box-office performance for Iranian animations has also improved. This year alone, several animated films have been released, and many of them have performed better than live-action films in their release windows,” he added.
However, according to the young director, there is a serious concern. “Animation desperately needs support. It is an extremely costly and time-consuming industry. Producing an animated feature in under 18 months is practically impossible, even with a large workforce. Without sufficient financial and institutional support, talented and highly skilled young professionals, many of whom have impressive international résumés, will inevitably leave the country, which would be a tremendous loss,” he expressed.
In addition to animation, Rahmani is also active in the video game industry. Comparing these two media, especially in terms of audience engagement, he said: “Video games are actually my original background, and I’m still very actively involved in that field. I strongly believe that my approach to storytelling in animations comes largely from my experience in game development”.
“Animation and video games share many elements: narrative structure, cinematic language, world-building, and visual storytelling. However, the video game audience is generally more demanding because they experience the work interactively,” he noted.
“In cinema, the director creates a fixed experience for the viewer. But in video games, the player actively participates in shaping that experience, which makes expectations more complex,” the director explained.
“We are currently developing a video game very seriously, aiming to enter the global market. We are doing everything we can to avoid disappointing our audience. This is a very challenging path, but we are committed to giving it our all,” Rahmani said.
“On behalf of the entire team, I can promise that our next cinematic project, ‘Guardians of the Sun,’ will be even more surprising and ambitious than ‘The Legend of Sepehr’. I’m confident it will exceed expectations.
“Guardians of the Sun” is a fantasy adventure animated film set in contemporary Iran. The story is about two 10-year-old boys who discover the presence of a group of thieves in an ancient area. This leads to the awakening of a legendary guardian, and the two children embark on an adventure with him to recover the stolen artifact.
If the post-production work is completed within a month, “Guardians of the Sun” will have its world premiere at the 44th Fajr Film Festival in February in Tehran.
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