Russian theaters officially launched the widespread distribution of the Iranian animated film The Legend of Sepehr on Monday evening. Distribution company Russian World Vision secured screenings at 89 venues in major urban centers across Russia. The opening ceremony took place inside a popular family shopping complex in central Moscow.
Iranian Ambassador Kazem Jalali attended the Moscow premiere alongside local cultural figures, entertainment executives, and cinema enthusiasts. During his opening remarks, Jalali honored the memory of 168 young students from the Shajareh Tayyebeh School. The children were tragically killed in foreign military strikes on the southern city of Minab during the initial stages of the conflict.
Exhibitors projected photographs of the young victims onto the theater screen before the official film presentation. Jalali subsequently highlighted that the premiere date coincided precisely with the 168th day since the tragic bombing. He stressed that international audiences must preserve the memory of the young victims through continued cultural exchange.
Iranian officials announced plans for an expansive cultural delegation to visit Russia this coming October. Exactly 168 Iranian artists will travel to St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Kazan to participate in scheduled festivals. Iranian Cultural Attaché Abdolreza Rashed coordinated the upcoming artistic exchanges with several prominent Russian entertainment organizations.
Russian World Vision Chief Executive Officer Konstantin Elkin expressed his full satisfaction with the international distribution agreement. He offered sincere condolences to the grieving families of the Minab victims while praising the artistic quality of the film. Moreover, Elkin emphasized that global audiences must unite to prevent similar tragedies from occurring anywhere in the world.
Directors Emad Rahmani and Mehrdad Mehrabi created the award-winning adventure film for family audiences worldwide. The story follows a young boy named Sepehr and his loyal cheetah companion as they journey across mystical lands. Together, they battle dark forces to rescue their captured family members and restore light.
The feature won the prestigious Best Animation award at the New York International Film Awards in 2025. Consequently, international distributors anticipate strong box-office performance across Eastern European and Asian theatrical markets. This major theatrical launch signals growing cultural and commercial collaboration between the Iranian and Russian film industries.