Sunny Side of The Doc — the factual-focused market currently holding its 37th edition in La Rochelle from June 22 to June 24, 2026 — is relocating to Strasbourg next year.
France’s National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC) is backing the new international documentary market in Strasbourg, scheduled for June 2027.
CNC president Gaëtan Bruel said the market will serve as both a major international industry gathering and a forum for addressing institutional issues affecting documentary filmmaking.
Strasbourg was chosen because it is home to key European audiovisual institutions, including Arte, Council of Europe, Eurimages, European Audiovisual Observatory, and the European Parliament.
The 2026 edition of Sunny Side was initially cancelled following the loss of European funding and cuts to financial support, but was later revived with the intervention of the CNC. The 37th edition of Sunny Side brought together 1,500 participants from 55 countries, 10 international delegations, over 800 companies, 73 exhibitors and a panel of 190 international decision-makers.
Aurélie Reman, managing director of Sunny Side of the Doc, said: “This 2026 edition has been one of mobilization, and proof, once again, that the documentary knows how to reinvent itself: with clarity, with loyalty to its values, and with the conviction that certain challenges can only be tackled together. Over the past 37 years, Sunny Side of the Doc has been at the forefront of every major transformation in our audiovisual sector. The international community, gathered one last time in La Rochelle, confirmed this: three days of exchanges between professionals from around the world, inspiring sessions and concrete opportunities across borders, in partnership with Documentary Campus. The determination is there to build new sustainable models and strategic partnerships, at a time when our collective ability to finance, produce, broadcast and export authentic stories that serve the public interest is at stake. This documentary battle begins tomorrow!”
Roman Jeanneau, president of Doc Services, commented: “After 37 years of championing documentary film, it is time for the long-term future of the documentary market in France to be placed in the hands of the industry itself. This is an event of collective interest. We can be proud of the legacy left by Sunny Side, of its pioneering role and of the place it has occupied for nearly four decades within the international documentary ecosystem. I would like to pay special tribute to the two founders, now deceased, Olivier Masson and Yves Jeanneau, who had the vision to create this unique market. Their intuition, their boldness and their commitment have left a lasting mark that continues to guide us today.”
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