Ep 261: From Tehran to Sundance: Naghmeh Farzaneh on Storytelling Through Animation

Filmmaking Conversations Podcast with Damien Swaby

✨ Episode Summary
In this conversation, Damien Swaby speaks with Naghmeh Farzaneh, an Iranian-born painter turned animation director, whose work has screened at Sundance and platforms like The New Yorker and Sesame Workshop. Naghmeh shares how she animates memory, navigates identity, and teaches the next generation of artists to embrace animation as more than cartoons — as a powerful storytelling medium. ⏱ Episode Highlights

• (04:15) How painting led Naghmeh to discover animation by accident
• (12:30) Turning memories of immigration into Scent of Geranium
• (21:40) Directing The Smallest Power with The New Yorker for Sundance
• (34:20) The painterly pipeline: from sketchbooks to After Effects
• (42:05) Adapting style for audiences at TED-Ed, Sesame Workshop, and beyond
• (54:10) Why “home” remains a central theme in her art
• (1:05:00) Advice for young artists and a message to her younger self

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• Why animation can be as expressive as painting or photography.
• How Iranian visual culture influences global storytelling.
• Practical insights into blending traditional art with digital tools.
• The challenges and joys of freelancing as a filmmaker.
• Why “finding home” is one of the most universal themes in art.

🔗 Connect with Naghmeh Farzaneh

• https://www.naghmehfarzaneh.com/about

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