Sunny Side of the Doc opens in La Rochelle
After a near-cancellation, the documentary market reopens with Documentary Campus
Sunny Side of the Doc opens today in La Rochelle, running 22–24 June for its 37th edition. After confirmation late last year that the market would pause, a coordinated effort from broadcasters, producers, French institutions, and the CNC brought the event back through a new strategic partnership with Documentary Campus.
This year’s leaner programme centres on a «right move» framing, with sessions covering financing gaps, international alliances, AI, archives, and digital-first distribution. The redesigned Meet & Match format replaces public pitching with round-table dialogue across nearly 120 curated projects, matched to distributors, co-producers, and impact partners according to specific needs.
Speakers include Ben Zand (Zandland) on vertically integrated documentary production, Oscar-winning producer Helle Faber (Made in Copenhagen) on the strain reshaping international co-production, and Jen Topping on YouTube’s practical value for nonfiction. Broadcasters from France Télévisions, NHK, China Media Group, ARTE, Canal+ Group, and the Global Doc pubcasters alliance will outline partnership priorities for the coming 24 months.
Read our interview with Documentary Campus Managing Director Donata von Perfall on reframing innovation, digital-first thinking, and how the market plans to rebuild collective momentum.
«We need to reframe innovation»
Donata von Perfall sees the documentary industry under pressure, yet far from exhausted. Ahead of Sunny Side of the Doc 2026, she speaks about physical markets, digital-first work, brand ethics and the need for practical collaboration.
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