Sunny Side of the Doc Unveils Digital Marketplace Details for 2021

The 32nd edition of Sunny Side of the Doc is slated to take place online from June 21 to 24.

“Building on the remarkable success of the 2020 Connected Edition that led to new deals and Global Pitch that helped impactful stories get off the ground, we remain absolutely committed to #StoryTellingMatters and will run a 2021 online marketplace through an expanded and optimized digital platform,” said Mathieu Béjot, director of the strategy and development of the annual gathering.

He adds: “We want to believe in a better future, one carried by the optimism that lends its name to Sunny Side of the Doc. So we’re leaving the door open to invite the international documentary community to join us back to the docks in June for a more informal get-together if the situation improves by then. We are very much looking forward to celebrating the reopening of France’s cultural institutions in mid-May and meeting audiences again in the cultural venues of La Rochelle that will host the immersive exhibition of PiXii Festival’s 5th edition.”

This year, the international marketplace for documentary and narrative experiences will give industry professionals with an Online Pass access to highly curated pitching sessions and decision-makers who greenlight projects, targeted networking meetings and a four-day conference program.

The upgraded digital space will provide a focus on the virtual presence of partners, exhibitors and delegations of international producers. A screening library will be hosted by ProgramBuyer and a XR media library will be deployed by LucidWeb. A new rate structure has been introduced on the official website, with pitch submissions still available at €90 and PiXii entries at €40 until the closure date of all calls on April 22.

Sunny Side of the Doc 2021 will include funding opportunities for the most exciting 42 non-fiction concepts to be pitched online to more than 300 international decision-makers; 2021 digital guides to documentary buyers and sellers; Interactive lineups and showcases by France Télévisions, Arte, NHK, China Pavillion, Canal+ and TF1; expanded Meet the Executives sessions featuring Disney+/National Geographic, discovery+, PBS, Sundance Institute, Redford Center and Ford Foundation; two Talent Hubs shining a spotlight on new voices from Central and Eastern Europe and untold stories by women nonfiction filmmakers.; and Digital Crossroads, a series of online industry meetings developed in partnership with the French Institute.