In March 2014, Dastmalchian was awarded the Special Jury Prize for Courage in Storytelling at the South by Southwest Film Festival. He wrote and starred in the feature film Animals, directed by Collin Schiffli. Ashley Moreno of The Austin Chronicle credits Dastmalchian’s screenplay with “present[ing] an authenticity often lacking in films about drug abuse.” Film Threat’s Brian Tallerico similarly sings the praises of Dastmalchian’s breakout performance, noting his ability to “capture that sense of self-loathing that comes through in the body language of an addict without overselling it.”