iFilm’s ‘Cypress, White, Crimson’ wins ABU best drama award

iFilm English TV’s ‘Cypress, White, Crimson’ has won the Best Drama Award at the 2026 Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) competition.

Competing against productions from Australia, China, and Japan, the series by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) received the award on the third day of the 63rd ABU General Assembly in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.

Mehdi Naqavian, head of IRIB’s Sima Film production center, said after receiving the award that the series was produced and broadcast during the 40-day war waged by the US and Israel against Iran.

Emphasizing the Iranian people’s right to independence and freedom, Naqavian expressed hope that media outlets around the world would be able to operate independently and report truthfully.

‘Cypress, White, Crimson’ is an episodic series in which each installment tells an independent story related to the 40-day war.

One of its distinguishing features is that filming took place while the war was underway, with production continuing under wartime conditions and during bombing raids.

A group of Iranian directors, including several young filmmakers, took part in the production, with each responsible for directing an episode.

The series began airing before the war ended. The audience response and the close connection between the stories and wartime events paved the way for the production of subsequent seasons.

The second season aired after the war, while the third focused on the activities of Iran’s Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA) during the 40-day conflict.

The fourth season is currently in pre-production and is expected to start production soon.