The films “Ice Merchants”, "Percebes" and “Garrano” are part of the 2025 edition of the EU Film Days festival.
Three Portuguese short films — “Percebes”, “Ice Merchants” and “Garrano” — have been selected for the 2025 edition of EU Film Days, a festival that celebrates European cinema in Japan. This year's showcase, dedicated to animation, takes place between May and September in cities such as Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Kyoto. Distributed by Agência – Portuguese Short Film Agency, these films represent the best of contemporary Portuguese animation.
“Percebes”, by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves, is an 11-minute documentary animation that follows the life cycle of the percebe, a crustacean typical of the Algarve, exploring the connection between the sea, gastronomy and local identity.
“Ice Merchants”, by João Gonzalez, is a 14-minute short without dialogues that follows a father and his son in a dizzying routine: they parachute from a house attached to a cliff every day to sell ice in the village. The film has won more than 150 international awards and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.
“Garrano”, directed by David Doutel and Vasco Sá, is a 14-minute animation that intertwines the story of a young man forced to work in a forest fire with that of a Garrano horse, exploring themes of exploitation and resistance.
