Sunny Side of the Doc (directed by Aurélie Reman) has unveiled the programme for its 36th edition, to be held in La Rochelle from 23 to 26 June, a key event in the financing of international documentary co-productions and the circulation of programmes. At the heart of the event, which is expected to attract over 2,100 professionals, are the seven themed pitch sessions, with 42 projects selected from 22 countries (out of 328 applications from 56 territories, including 15 new ones). Since the creation of New Voices in 2023, half of the projects submitted have been first or second features. In Europe, the shortlist includes entries from Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, the UK, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Switzerland (see detailed list below).

It is worth mentioning that six projects have also been selected for the Sunny Innovation Lab, a training programme dedicated to non-linear documentary formats (podcasts, VR, AR, immersive installations, AI, video).

This year's Sunny Side has been dubbed New Routes to Storytelling. It is a fact that the documentary market is under pressure, traditional business models are running out of steam and technologies are reshaping practices. It's a major shift that requires adaptation and anticipation, as well as a detailed understanding of the pivotal factors in the sector's transformation and the strategies for survival and innovation in a saturated ecosystem. The Innovation Summit (23-24 June) and the keynotes and showcases at the Archives Summit (25-26 June) will address these issues.

The market programme also includes sessions such as “Meet the Buyers”, “Meet the Commissioners” and “Navigating the Distribution Shift”, as well as the brand new “Distributors Meet Selected Projects” session. There will also be the traditional line-up presentations from French and international broadcasters, “Meet the Executives” sessions and a host of events including the 100th anniversary of Japanese public broadcaster NHK and the 25th anniversary of French distribution company Terranoa (a subsidiary of Gedeon Media Group).

The selection:

Current Affairs & Investigation

Greenland, l’Eldorado des glaces - Jean-Yves Cauchard, Vivien Meltz (France)
Production: Temps noir

In Front of Us - Inna Sahakyan (Armenia/Belgium)
Production: Bars Media, Associate Directors

Mathare Fathers - Mattias Grosin, Iyanu Omoboye (Sweden/France)
Production: Nordic Eye Productions, Morgane Production

Point of no return: Israel at the Crossroads of Democracy - Tal Inbar, Amit Farbman (Israel/France)
Production: Corners, Yami 2, Tal Inbar

Women and War - Elwira Niewiera, Piotr Rosołowski (Poland)
Production: Telemark

Homeland Security - Victor Luengo, Virginia Diaz (Spain)
Production: Enero Films

Nature & Environment

Elerai Our Land - Paula Kahumbu (Kenya)
Production: Wildlifedirect

Kingdom of the Crocodile - Nick Robinson (Australia)
Production: Wild Pacific Media

On the Way - Natalia Dołgowska (Poland/France/Switzerland)
Production: Kijora Film, Bellota Films, Cinedokke

South Pole Explorers - Jota Loyola (Chile)
Production: Oxitocine

Whitethroat - Kathleen Harris (Ireland)
Production: True Films

Boréal : la faune en première ligne des incendies - Ari A Cohen (Canada)
Production: Rotating Planet Productions

Sciences

Can We Stop The Ice? (working title) - Jamie Lochead (UK/USA)
Production: Windfall Films, PBS/WGBH/Nova

Compost : le trésor cache de nos déchets - Guilhem Touzery (France)
Production: Capa Presse

Heart - Gloor Alaneo (Australia)
Production: Millstream Productions, Green Marble Productions

Le phare d’Alexandrie : premier gratte-ciel de l’humanité - Laurence Thiriat (France)
Production: Gedeon Programmes

Tutankhamen, Royal Garden: Replanted - Ahmed Hussein (Egypt/USA)
Production: Masr Media Production, Soura

Unveiling The Cosmos - Gonzalo Argandona (Chile/Spain/Germany)
Production: Cabala Producciones, Cabala Films sl, HR, Bilderfest gmbh

History

Atomic Paradise - John Harvey (Australia)
Production: Sam Content

This Is How I Remember It - Tomer Heymann, Nadan Pines (Israel)
Production: Heymann Brothers films

13 novembre : des récits, un choeur de voix - Valérie Manns (France)
Production: INA

The Last Days of Kabul - Lucio Mollica, Bence Máté (Germany)
Production: Looksfilm

The Letelier File - Rafael Valdeavellano, Carola Fuentes (Chile)
Production: La Ventana Cine

Gerald Bull: Truth is a Weapon - Mathieu Fournier (Canada)
Production: Picbois Productions

Arts & Entertainment

Better Than Gold - Leen Michiels (Belgium/Switzerland/Netherlands/Belgium)
Production: Krater Films, Dokmobile, Tomtit Film, Need Productions

Ghetto Classic - Katia Priwieziencew (Poland/Spain)
Production: Dynamo Film, WKND

King Annie - Benjamin Garcia Langeland (Norway/Finland)
Production: Indie Film Bergen, Polygraf

Leonard Cohen: Behind The Iron Curtain - Eric Bednarsk (Canada/Germany/Poland)
Production: Nomad Films inc., Fireglory Pictures gmbh, Silver Frame

Life Through a Lens - Andreas Eidhagen (Sweden)
Production: The Motor Moving Pictures

The Quiet One - Meg Rickards (South Africa/USA)
Production: Rise and Shine Films (pty) ltd., Flor

Impact campaigns

Chess Behind Bars - Ivo Zen (Switzerland/Norway/Germany/Netherlands)
Production: La Belle Film gmbh, Folk Film, Dirk Manthey Film, Basalt Film

Children of Honey - Jigar Ganatra (UK/Tanzania)
Production: Storyboard Studios, African School of Storytelling

Invisible Birds - Rafael Andreoni, Alberto Alvares (Brasil)
Production: Cadenza Films, O par, capuri

Mama - Ana Cristina Benítez (Equator)
Production: Eterea s.a.s.

Miss Albinos - Cynthia Pinet (France)
Production: Petites Poupées Production

Queens of The Water - Juliano de Paula Santos (Brasil)
Production: Frame 22 Hub de conteúdos

New Voices

Michael's Got Talent - Danny Biancardi (Italy)
Production: Justmaria, La bandita

Restless Farewell - Nan Yang, Peiyun He (China)
Production: Shangai Media Group

Taalim - Vaibhav Jadhav (India)
Production: Paper Planes Pictures pvt ltd

Heirs of no Regret - Saitabao Kaiyare (Italy/Kenya/Netherlands/Italy)
Production: Rizomafilm, Baruu Collective, Windmill Film, Popcult

The Sacred Feminine: Story of a Betrayal - Nadège Justiniani (France)
Production: Urbaia Productions

The Other Gaza - Wafa Jamil Espvall (Sweden)
Production: Sard Films ab