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‘Ice Merchants’ Wins Big at MONSTRA 2023

The Annie Award-winning and Oscar-nominated short by João Gonzalez took top honors in multiple categories in both the Portuguese and International short film competitions, including the Monstrinha Inatel Grand Prix and audience awards.

The 22nd edition of MONSTRA - the Lisbon Animation Festival - which took place March 15-26, announced its winners. The festival featured an international competition for shorts, features, and student films, as well as a super shorts competition for films three minutes and under.

This year's big winner was the Annie Award-winning and Oscar-nominated short film Ice Merchants by João Gonzalez, which scored wins including the Portuguese Competition, Portuguese Short Film Competition, and Monstrinha Inatel Grand Prix. In addition, it picked up audience awards in both the International Short Film and Portuguese Competition categories.

Here are the 2023 winners:

Monstrinha Inatel Grand Prix Winner:

  • Ice Merchants, João Gonzalez, 2022 (PT)

Special Mentions:

Suzie no Jardim (Suzie in the Garden), Lucie Sunková, 2022 (CZ)

  • Em Nome das Plantas (In The Name of Plants), Hervé Bressaud, 2022 (FR)

Audience Award:

  • A Rainha das Raposas (The Queen of the Foxes) Marina Rosset, 2022 (CH)

Super Short Film Competition:

  • Best Super Short Film - M2, Ana Martin, Bela Tagliabue, Paola Bellato, 2021 (AR)
  • Best Portuguese Super Short Film (sponsored by Ageas Seguros) - Era Uma Vez Uma Nêspera (Loquats Poem), Leonor Silva, 2022 (PT)
  • Special Mentions:
    • PLSTC, Laen Sanches, 2022 (FR)

Student Short Film Competition:

  • Best Student Short Film (senior jury) - Com amor, Pai (Love, Dad), Diana Cam Van Nguyen, 2021 (CZ)
  • Best Student Short Film (junior jury) - Diplomacia do Eclipse (Diplomatie de l’Éclipse), Cesar Luton, Achille Pasquier, Selim Lallaoui, Clemence Bailly, Axel Mechin, 2022 (FR)
  • Best Portuguese Student Short Film (sponsored by Ageas Seguros) - A Semente que Palpita (The Beating Seed), Alice Carmo, Laura Pires, Marta Ribeiro, Tiago Pimenta, 2022 (PT)
  • Special Mentions:
    • Senior Jury: Recursos Humanos (Human Resources), Isaac Wenzek, Titouan Tillier, Trindad Plass Caussade, 2022 (FR)
    • Junior Jury: Raízes (Roots), Maddalena Brozzi, Sara Moschini, Laura Cagnoni, 2022 (IT)
  • Audience Award: Com amor, Pai (Love, Dad), Diana Cam Van Nguyen, 2021 (CZ)

Perspectives Competition:

  • Audience Award – Short Film: Baratas (Cockroaches), Adel Khan Farooq, 2022 (NO)
  • Audience Award – Feature Film: Bizarros Peixes das Fossas Abissais (Bizarre Fish From the Abyssal Zone), Marcelo Marão, 2023 (BR)

Feature Film Competition:

MONSTRA RTP2 Grand Prix – Feature Film

  • Guerras de Unicórnios (Unicorn Wars), Alberto Vázquez, 2022 (ES/FR)

Best Soundtrack:

  • Nayola, José Miguel Ribeiro, 2022 (PT)
  • Jury Special Award -
    • Os Demónios do Meu Avô” (My Grandfather’s Demons), Nuno Beato, 2022 (PT)
  • Special Mentions
    • Perlimps, Alê Abreu, 2022 (BR)
  • Audience Award
  • Nayola, José Miguel Ribeiro, 2022 (PT)

Short Film Competition:

MONSTRA RTP2 Grand Prix – Short Film

  • Apartamento de Cão (Dog-Apartment), Priit Tender, 2022 (EE)

Best Portuguese Short Film

  • Ice Merchants, João Gonzalez, 2022 (PT)
  • Jury Special Award
    • Carta para um Porco (Letter to a Pig), Tal Kantor, 2022 (FR/IL)
  • Special Mention
    • A Sombra das Borboletas (Shadow of the Butterflies), Sofia El Khyari, 2022 (FR)
  • Audience Award
    • Ice Merchants, João Gonzalez, 2022 (PT)

Portuguese Competition - Spa / Vasco Granja Award

  • Ice Merchants, João Gonzalez, 2022 (PT)
  • Special Mentions
    • Ana Morphose, João Rodrigues, 2023 (PT)
  • Audience Award
    • Ice Merchants, João Gonzalez, 2022 (PT)

Visit the MONSTRA website for more information.

Source: MONSTRA

Debbie Diamond Sarto's picture

Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.