Details Revealed for 2016 Asian Side of the Doc

BANGKOK: This year’s Asian Side of the Doc international documentary and specialist factual market will be held from October 31 to November 3 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The event’s seventh edition will take place at the Avani Riverside Hotel. Over the four days, producers, broadcasters, distributors and institutions will unite to establish new co-production opportunities. “Co-productions are not commonplace yet,” said Yves Jeanneau, the CEO of Sunny Side markets. “They are immediately feasible when there is shooting or spending in the country.”

Asian Side of the Doc 2016 is co-organized by Sunny Side of the Doc and Wishtrend Thailand. The event will focus on the ASEAN zone: Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. The program includes One-to-One meetings and Meet the Executives sessions, among many other highlights. “Apart from the pitching sessions with prizes, Asian Side of the Doc will explore the ASEAN content boom market through several panels on co-production opportunities, case studies, and synergies with OTT and SVOD platforms,” noted Jeanneau.

“There are many reasons why we chose Bangkok to host this seventh edition,” added Jeanneau. “At the 69th Cannes Film Festival last May, a group of ASEAN film agencies and commissions came together to introduce and showcase the best of ASEAN productions to the international film community. So, it is genuinely a new market, getting more and more structured and these days that is an opportunity not to be missed. Then, the diversification of channels and new online platforms, supported by local government policies, provides new opportunities to sell completed programs. In short, Bangkok is the perfect ‘hub’ for the whole ASEAN zone. We will be holding Asian Side of the Doc in a very auspicious and comfortable environment as we will be in the Avani Riverside Hotel, which will be welcoming us in the best conditions to make this an exceptional event!”

The 2016 Asian Side call for projects is still open. Producers and content creators can submit documentary projects (one-offs, series, miniseries, short formats or transmedia/interactive) that will appeal to Asian broadcasters, co-producers or other funders by September 29. Submission requirements can be found on the Sunny Side of the Doc website.