News

Archive is in the frame at SSD on June 24, as top US doccer Louise Rosen moderates two sessions of fundamental interest to attendees. The morning Archives and New Alliances event will offer up three examples of how to monetise archive content, while the afternoon Archive Showcase session “reimagines the archive pitch as a creative encounter.” During the latter event, participating companies (Reuters, British Pathé and Getty Images) will muse on the stories out there as yet to be discovered, all emanating from “a recent discovery…a newly restored [archive] gem.”

A 30-year industry veteran with previous top-level postings at both ARTE and Netflix, Mark Edwards will replace Bastien Gauclère who is moving to Bolivia to oversee French film and audiovisual policy for the Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela). The next edition of Fipadoc Pro will run January 25-28 2027 in Biarritz.

New Zealand’s Doc Edge Festival, running June 24 to August 2 across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, will showcase 87 films and immersive projects, including 28 world premieres, 12 international premieres and 23 Asia Pacific premieres. “Doc Edge continues to bring the world's most compelling documentary storytellers to Aotearoa,” says Dan Shanan, Executive Director. “We're excited to welcome filmmakers and subjects from around the world whose work explores everything from political resistance and artificial intelligence to grief, identity, music, conflict and social change."

Gaëtan Bruel, president of France’s National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC), announced June 22 the launch of a new documentary market in Strasbourg in June 2027. “By establishing itself in Strasbourg, at the heart of Europe, this market will ambitiously carry the core values of documentary: rigor, diversity, and openness to the world,” he commented.

The Visions du Réel Foundation announced June 22 the appointment of Anne Delseth as Artistic Director and Co-director of the Festival. A member of the Selection Committee since 2023 and a recognised figure in the Swiss and international film industry, Anne Delseth will take up her position at the end of August 2026. She will succeed Emilie Bujès who, after nine editions at the helm of VdR, will take over as Artistic Director of the Geneva International Film Festival.

Espresso Media, the UK-based independent factual sales outfit, heads to Sunny Side of the Doc with a new slate spanning factual entertainment, premium science, true crime, world affairs, social documentary and history. “In a challenging distribution landscape for independent factual producers, it matters to us that we keep championing ambitious, high quality documentary work across every genre we operate in," comments Colette Webber, Acquisitions Manager.

Munich-based global factual content provider Autentic will this week present a new slate of summer releases within the categories of current affairs, history, wildlife and travel. Furthermore, the company 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.