Business Doc Europe

One of the cornerstones of Japanese broadcaster NHK’s offer at Sunny Side 2026 will be its new documentary about the completion of the Tower of Jesus on Antoni Gaudi's spectacular Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona. The documentary, exec-produced by NHK’s Masumi Hoshino, will premiere in Japan on June 28 before its international roll-out. “The fact that we were granted exclusive access to film the Sagrada Família, and to document its construction continuously over such a long period of time, represents a major strength for NHK,” Hoshino tells Business Doc Europe.

Flemish production house Harald House arrives in La Rochelle with a diverse slate of documentary projects, ranging from a journey into the mind of the late, great David Lynch, to a feature doc about a team of para-cyclists who chase their dream of competing on the world stage, even as bombs descend on their home city of Gaza. “Creatively, we are drawn to films that can have an impact, whether that impact is cultural, artistic or social,” company CEO Kristian Van der Heyden tells Business Doc Europe.

For a while at the end of 2025, the future of Sunny Side of the Doc seemed very much in doubt, but after agreeing a strategic partnership with Documentary Campus, the market returns June 22-24 to La Rochelle for its 37th edition. As ever, the core remit is to connect producers with key decision-makers in order to accelerate co-pro and business opportunities but, as Doc Campus MD Donata von Perfall tells BDE, gone are the pitch events, replaced in 2026 by a “more collaborative, discussion-driven” Meet & Match model. “The goal was efficient, meaningful exchange rather than performance,” she says.

Director River Finlay talks to BDE about her MeetMarket project that follows Chilean Isabel Allende, one of the world’s most widely read authors, as she “looks beyond the stories she tells the world and confronts the ones she tells herself,” and reckoning with an unresolved past, the passage of time, and the renewed rise of authoritarianism. “Her trailblazing as an author for other women writers really is unparalleled, but mostly she really provides this incredible sense of connection and bravery,” says Finlay of her revered subject.

Norwegian filmmaker Even Sigstad tells the story of how intrepid Norwegian climber Kristin Harila broke mountaineering records in 2023 when she and her Nepalese climbing partner, Tenjen Lama Sherpa, scaled 14 of the world’s highest peaks in the space of only 92 days. The trip, though, developed a very dark side when they were accused of leaving an injured Pakistani porter to die on K2. “We couldn’t foresee how the whole story would evolve and the controversy around it,” Sigstad reflects on the mountaineering story that turned into something very different and far more complex.

Try! follows four players from four Irish teams to the Mixed Ability Rugby World Cup in Spain, where 32 teams from 16 countries go head to head in fifteen-a-side, full-contact rugby played by people with and without physical and learning disabilities. ““There are so many stories. The biggest challenge for us was trying to find out which of these characters we should focus on because everybody involved in that community, just to get to the pitch, they have to overcome so many obstacles,” director Oisín Mistéil tells BDE.

During Sunny Side 2026, Munich-based global factual content provider Autentic will present a new slate of summer releases within the categories of current affairs, history, wildlife and travel. Furthermore, the company also recently announced its acquisition of Leipzig-based boutique distributor Albatross World Sales. With this acquisition, Autentic expands its portfolio by more than 600 hours of premium programming, the company underlines, particularly in the nature & wildlife genre, as well as science, travel & culture, and history.

The AI film Post Truth has won Best Art Feature Film at the 42nd Asolo Art Film Festival (Italy), with Sydney-based sales outfit Odin's Eye Entertainment claiming this to be the first time an AI-generated feature has been lauded in a juried competition at an established international festival. Accepting the award in Asolo, Turkish director Alkan Avcıoğlu quoted John Cage: “I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.”

The China Pavilion returns to La Rochelle in 2026, housing a strong delegation of broadcasters, streaming platforms, producers and distributors. China Hour is scheduled for June 23 (15.30 to 16.30), during which professionals can discover the latest projects, trends and co-production opportunities from one of the world's most influential documentary markets. “We position ourselves as a ‘connector of cross-cultural narratives,’” China Pavilion’s Liu Wei tells Sunny Side.

BDC Discoveries has issued a final call for submissions for its 2026 edition. The closing date for applications is June 30. The Balkan Documentary Center (BDC) is a platform dedicated to supporting and developing documentary film related to the Balkan region, connecting filmmakers, producers, and industry professionals across borders.

Sheffield DocFest 2026 wrapped a “record-breaking” year June 16, attracting over 45,000 cinemagoers and nearly 2500 delegates from 74 different countries to 6 days of films, talks, industry sessions, workshops, parties, performances and parades across Sheffield. The festival is one of the biggest showcases for documentaries around the globe and this year featured 107 films from 66 countries and over 200 screenings including 45 World Premieres, 17 International Premieres, 6 European Premieres, and 37 UK Premieres.

DOK Co-Pro Market has put out its final call for author-driven documentary, animated doc and – as of 2026 – feature animation projects. “The animated fiction projects will focus on artistic feature-length films with theatrical potential, alongside series suited for platforms and broadcasters – all targeting adult audiences, a rising segment in the animation industry,” write organisers. The call for applications closes July 1.