For the first time, there is a Portuguese production among the nominees for the Oscars, with "Ice Merchants", directed by João Gonzalez, a candidate for the award for best animated short film.

Also nominated in the category for best animated short film are "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse", by Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud, "The Flying Sailor", by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, "My Year of Dicks", by Sara Gunnarsdóttir, and "An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It", by Lachlan Pendragon.

"Ice Merchants" is the third film by João Gonzalez, Portuguese production by Bruno Caetano, by Cola Animation, and co-production with France and the United Kingdom.

The film, without dialogue, has as its starting point as the image of a house on a mountain, leaning over a precipice. From there, the director developed the story of a father and son, who produce ice in the inhospitable house where they live, and from which they jump every day by parachute to sell it in the village, at the foot of the mountain.

João Gonzalez is responsible for the direction and soundtrack of the film and shares the animation, in 2D, with the Polish artist Ala Nunu.

Before reaching the Oscar nominations, "Ice Merchants" had an award-winning premiere in 2022 at Critics' Week at the Cannes Film Festival in France.

According to Agência da Curta-Metragem, João Gonzalez's film has already been shown in more than a hundred film festivals, won 44 awards and was seen by 8,425 spectators.

The ceremony of the 95th edition of the Oscars is scheduled for March 12th.