Sunny Side of the Doc Opens Call for Projects

Sunny Side of the Doc has announced its call for projects for the 2022 event, which will be back in La Rochelle, France, for an in-person market from June 20 to 23.

“We strongly believe that diversity drives innovation and creativity in the documentary genre,” said Mathieu Béjot, director of strategy and development of Sunny Side. “Supporting new voices and a plurality of voices and talents is essential to ensure that films are relevant to diverse audiences.”

Béjot added, ”After the session of the Global Pitch dedicated to women’s voices (February 22-23), new features will be deployed at the physical edition in June in order to embrace and nurture new talents and help them find their place in the documentary community.”

By submitting their project to one of Sunny Side of the Doc’s pitching sessions, project holders will be able to receive mentoring from industry experts, access a professional audience, seal financial deals, find potential partners, meet with peers for potential co-production discussions and more. All talent, including filmmakers, producers, digital creators, game and interactive designers, can apply.

This year, the pitching sessions will be held on-site and online (for participants who may not be able to travel to France) in the presence of more than 400 international decision-makers representing broadcasters, streamers, foundations, sales agents and other funders looking for impactful stories.

Six selected projects will be pitched in each of the eight sessions, which are divided into three broad categories: Genres (global issues, wildlife and conservation, science, history and arts and culture); Digital Creation (immersive experiences and digital na(rra)tive stories; and Talent Hub: new voices.

The best pitched projects of each session are decided by a jury of industry experts. The eight winners will receive a €3,000 ($3,400) cash prize endowed by respective session sponsors.

The closing date for submissions is Thursday, April 7.

The 33rd edition of Sunny Side will also feature a digital extension. New Voices is Sunny Side’s 2022 main thread for both the market and year-round events.

This year’s Global Pitch by Sunny Side of the Doc will be held online from February 22 to 23. The aim of the two-day online pitching session sponsored by Al Jazeera Documentary Channel/Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC) and PBS International is to facilitate the international financing and co-production of projects focusing on women’s voices. It will see 180 projects from 47 countries, most of which have been developed by women, brought to light. The 12 selected projects will be able to reach more than 100 decision-makers through online pitching and tailored individual meetings.