Sunny Side of the Doc has concluded its 36th edition today (June 23-26, La Rochelle, France). The market attracted 2,100 participants from 60 countries, over 1,000 companies, 85 exhibitors, and 260 international decision-makers.
This year saw a significant increase in broadcaster engagement, with a strengthened presence from key players such as the BBC, Channel 4, Mediaset, National Geographic, TG4 (Ireland), RTP (Portugal), and long-standing North American partner PBS, in addition to first-time attendees from India (IN10 Media) and Brazil (Globoplay). The sessions of the new initiative Meet the Buyers & Commissioners offered privileged access to executives from broadcasters.
This year’s edition also brought focus to Brazil, in the context of the France–Brazil Season 2025, celebrating 200 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. TV Brasil – Empresa Brasil de Comunicação joined France Télévisions, ZDF, NHK, PBS, CBC, SVT, Channel 4, RAI, ORF, and ABC Australia, as partner in Global Doc, the pubcasters’ initiative launched in 2019.
For the first time, the market was articulated around two thematic submits: the Innovation Summit and the Archives Summit, each offering dedicated sessions and showcases that reflected the evolving practices and ambitions of the documentary industry. Keynotes were delivered by Dawn Porter (director at Trilogy Films), David Defendi (president, Genaro Studio, and Antonia Pellegrino (Content and Programming director, Empresa Brasil de Comunicação).
The presentation of French and international editorial strategies brought together France Télévisions, ARTE, TF1, Canal+, RMC Découverte, RMC Story, M6, and NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster. These sessions also featured the launch of NOVO19, a brand-new French channel.
The Sunny Academy debuted this year, featuring a first cohort of creators selected from international delegations (Nigeria, Saudi Arabia), European training programs (Ex Oriente Series, Frames Festival Residency), Sunny Side Prizes (LatAm Content Meeting), and regional competitions (Grand Est “Pose ton doc”).
The 37th edition of Sunny Side of the Doc will take place from June 22-25, 2026 in La Rochelle.
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