🎄The Merchants of Joy (2025) — A Heartwarming Holiday Documentary from Ben Affleck’s Artists Equity ✨

“One tree, one customer, one season at a time — this is where Christmas truly lives.” 🌲

This December, The Merchants of Joy brings real holiday magic to your screen — not from Santa’s workshop, but from the heart of New York City’s winter streets.

Premiering December 1, 2025, exclusively on Prime Video, this heartfelt documentary captures the passion, pride, and hustle of five families who transform the cold sidewalks of Manhattan into dazzling Christmas tree markets every year.

Executive produced by Ben Affleck and directed by Celia Aniskovich (Burn It Down, Call Me Miss Cleo), The Merchants of Joy unwraps the unseen story of those who keep the holiday spirit alive — one pine needle at a time.

🌟 Quick Overview — The Merchants of Joy

Detail	Information
Title	The Merchants of Joy
Genre	Documentary • Holiday • Family • Real-Life
Director	Celia Aniskovich
Producers	Celia Aniskovich, Zoe Vock, Arthur Spector, Joshua Davis, Joshuah Bearman
Executive Producers	Todd Lubin, Ivan Schneeberg, David Fortier, Douglas Banker, Ben Affleck, Gillian Brown, Dani Bernfeld
Screenwriter	Owen Long
Production Companies	Amazon MGM Studios, Artists Equity, Dial Tone Films
Distributor	Prime Video
Release Date	December 1, 2025
Runtime	90 minutes
Country Availability	Worldwide
Original Language	English

🏙️ A Christmas Story Rooted in Reality

Forget elves and flying reindeer — The Merchants of Joy takes us to a different kind of North Pole: the streets of New York City.

Each winter, as the snow falls and lights twinkle, five working-class families hustle to turn city sidewalks into festive havens. They sell trees, string lights, and spread warmth to thousands of strangers — while carrying forward a generations-old family tradition that’s slowly disappearing in the face of rising rents, city permits, and corporate chains.

The film captures their struggles and triumphs as they:

🎄 Source the perfect trees from upstate forests

💵 Fight to keep their small businesses alive

💬 Build genuine connections with customers year after year

It’s not just about commerce — it’s about community, love, and legacy.

“In a world that rushes past, these families remind us to stop — and feel the season again.”

❤️ Why The Merchants of Joy Hits Different

This isn’t your typical glossy holiday special. It’s gritty, tender, and deeply human.

Director Celia Aniskovich paints a vivid portrait of New Yorkers who’ve made holiday selling their life’s work — capturing their sacrifices, laughter, and fierce devotion to tradition.

Through raw storytelling and intimate cinematography, the film celebrates ordinary people creating extraordinary joy in the city that never sleeps.

It’s not just about selling Christmas trees — it’s about what keeps hope alive when the lights dim.

🎬 Behind the Scenes — The Dream Team of Holiday Storytelling

Produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Artists Equity — Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company — The Merchants of Joy continues the studio’s streak of emotionally grounded, high-quality originals.

This powerhouse creative team ensures the documentary balances authentic storytelling with cinematic polish:

• 🎥 Celia Aniskovich (Director): Known for empathetic documentaries (Burn It Down, Call Me Miss Cleo) that reveal the heart beneath the headlines.

• 🧠 Owen Long (Screenwriter): Crafts a story that flows like fiction — even though every moment is real.

• 🌟 Ben Affleck (Executive Producer): Through Artists Equity, Affleck brings star-level attention to small, human stories that deserve to be seen.

✨ A Love Letter to the Holidays — and to the People Who Make Them Special

There’s something timeless about the sight of a family bundled in coats, loading a Christmas tree onto a car roof while the city glows behind them.

The Merchants of Joy bottles that exact feeling — the one you can’t buy or fake. The documentary invites you to slow down, smile, and remember that holiday spirit isn’t found in stores — it’s grown, carried, and sold by people who still believe in it.

“The film reminds us that joy doesn’t just happen — someone works hard to make it.”

🎄 Where to Watch The Merchants of Joy

🗓️ Streaming Release: December 1, 2025

📺 Platform: Prime Video (Worldwide)

🌎 Available in: All major regions — U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, Europe, and more

⏰ Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes

Perfect for cozy December nights — or when you need to believe in kindness again.

The Merchants of Joy (2025) — A heartfelt holiday documentary from director Celia Aniskovich and executive producer Ben Affleck, premiering December 1 on Prime Video. Follow five New York families keeping the Christmas spirit alive, one tree and one customer at a time.

🎁 Final Thoughts — Real People, Real Joy, Real Christmas

In a world obsessed with perfect holiday aesthetics, The Merchants of Joy reminds us where the real magic lives — in the hands of people who build joy from the ground up.

It’s not just a film; it’s a celebration of resilience, community, and the power of small traditions in a city that often forgets them.

So grab your cocoa, dim the lights, and stream The Merchants of Joy on Prime Video, December 1, 2025. Because the holidays aren’t about what you buy — they’re about the hearts that make them happen. ❤️