Sunny Side of the Doc has unveiled new details for its 36th edition, taking place June 23 to 26 in La Rochelle.<\/p>\n
This year, the event will introduce new sessions dedicated to buyers and commissioning editors to provide insights into their acquisition strategies and priorities to producers and distributors. Another new exclusive session is \u201cDistributors Meet Selected Projects,\u201d designed for project holders from the official selection who are currently without a distributor.<\/p>\n
The \u201cMeet the Buyers,\u201d\u00a0\u201cMeet the Commissioners\u201d and \u201cNavigating the Distribution Shift\u201d sessions will feature three decision-makers per panel and will be followed by an interactive Q&A for producers and distributors.<\/p>\n
\u201cDistributors Meet Selected Projects\u201d will provide a targeted opportunity for projects in the official selection to connect with distributors.<\/p>\n
The Innovation Summit, covering AI, immersive and digital-first documentaries, will take place June 23 to 24. It will feature a series of conferences dedicated to the latest industry trends, including the digital-first documentary shift, the use of AI in docs and new immersive destinations, as well as several sessions devoted to projects from the Sunny Innovation Lab.<\/p>\n
On June 25 and 25, the Archives Summit will bring together experts, producers, broadcasters and platforms to address the challenges and opportunities related to archives in documentary creation, covering preservation, access and historical storytelling. Filmmaker Dawn Porter will deliver a keynote sharing her experience working with archives and will present her latest film, dedicated to Nelson Mandela. Additionally, six organizations will showcase their activities, specialties and unique approaches to bringing archives to life at a one-hour cocktail event. There will also be a panel addressing the ongoing discussions on the decolonization of archives and how First Nations can reclaim images and a session on the management of archives across the African continent.<\/p>\n
Also part of the program are the seven pitch sessions: science, nature and environment, history, current affairs and investigation, arts and culture, new voices and impact campaigns. The seven winning projects will be awarded prizes by sponsors from each pitch category, including PBS Distribution, RTBF, Blue Ant Media and Love Nature, Al Jazeera and AJB DOC Film Festival and ZDF Studios.<\/p>\n
The market will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Japanese public broadcasters NHK, the 25th anniversary of the French distribution company Terranoa and the 20th anniversary of Ushua\u00efa TV.<\/p>\n
The full program and schedule can be found on Sunny Side of the Doc\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor this 36th edition, we are guided by two ambitions: to understand the transformations reshaping our sector and to connect professionals and stories with greater authenticity and inclusivity,\u201d said Aur\u00e9lie Reman, managing director of Sunny Side of the Doc. \u201cTo achieve this, it is essential to support talents internationally, especially those bringing new perspectives. Because it is precisely in uncertain times that the documentary genre reveals its essential strength\u2014connecting worlds, shedding light on complex realities and bringing people together around universal values.\u201d<\/p>\n
She continued, \u201cSunny Side of the Doc asserts its position as an international market at the heart of Europe for all forms of documentary storytelling. This anchoring is not merely a matter of geography but of vision. At a time when borders are closing and budgets are shrinking, we are making a deliberate choice: openness, collaboration and the sharing of skills. Because only together will we find sustainable solutions to lead the documentary industry toward a more enduring and international future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new routes of storytelling have yet to be mapped out. Over these four days, I invite you to reconnect, to approach our shared challenges with pragmatism, to frankly share your concerns and hopes, and above all, to dare to forge new, unprecedented collaborations\u2014under the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sunny Side of the Doc has unveiled new details for its 36th edition, taking place June 23 to 26 in La Rochelle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1412,"featured_media":22909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[9368,1076,10876],"class_list":["post-22908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-aurelie-reman","tag-sunny-side-of-the-doc","tag-sunny-side-of-the-doc-2025","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n