# Ice Merchants

Ice Merchants is a 2022 animated short film directed by João Gonzalez. The 14-minute short about family love is the first ever Portuguese animation to be awarded at the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered as part of the 2022 Critics' Week (Semaine de la Critique). The film has been featured in a number of international film festivals, receiving accolades such as the Gold Hugo award for Best Animated Short at the Chicago International Film Festival and won over nine awards in festivals and a nomination for the 95th Academy Awards in the category of Best Animated Short Film.

## Plot

Every day, a father and his son jump with a parachute from their house on a cliff to go to the village, where they sell ice. While falling, they always lose their matching hats, and they buy themselves new ones while in town. They then return to their house through the use of a pulley system, where they spend time together and bond. The boy's mother has passed away some time ago, but her presence is still on the mind of the father and son, whether by her unused mug or her empty space in the bed.
One morning, the temperature is so warm that there is no ice to sell, and melting snow falls heavily on the house, breaking it away from the cliff. The backpack with the parachute falls away, leaving the father and son stranded. Realizing that they have no chance for survival, the father holds the son tightly and jumps from the collapsing house. On the way down, they are met by a vision of the mother, who holds on to the pair and pulls her own parachute.
The father and son miraculously land on the massive pile of hats that have accumulated on the forest floor below the house and are saved. They walk off to the village, taking a hat for the son along the way.

## Reception

Since its release, the film has been selected in various festivals around the world:
| Year | Festivals | Award/Category | Status |
| 2022 | Cannes International Film Festival | Leitz Cine Discovery Prize | Won |
| 2022 | Toronto International Film Festival | IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Film | Nominated |
| 2022 | Melbourne International Film Festival | Best Animated Short Film | Won |
| 2022 | Chicago International Film Festival | Gold Hugo for Best Animated Short | Won |
| 2022 | European Film Awards | Animated European Short Film | Nominated |
| 2022 | Valladolid International Film Festival | Golden Spike for Best Short Film | Nominated |
| 2022 | Valladolid International Film Festival | Silver Spike for Best Short Film | Won |
| 2022 | Valladolid International Film Festival | Green Spike Special Mention for Best Short Film | Won |
| 2022 | Vila Do Conde International Short Film Festival | Best Film National Competition | Won |
| 2022 | Vila Do Conde International Short Film Festival | Audience Award International Competition | Won |
| 2023 | Academy Awards | Best Animated Short | Nominated |
| 2023 | Annie Awards | Best Animated Short Subject | Won |
| 2023 | Quirino Awards | Best Ibero-American Short Film | Nominated |
| 2023 | Quirino Awards | Best Visual Development | Won |
| 2023 | Quirino Awards | Best Animation Design | Nominated |
| 2023 | Quirino Awards | Best Sound Design and Original Music | Nominated |