Sunny Side 25

In Sheffield, Amilcar Infante and Sebastián González’s Unwelcomed has its European premiere in Journey, while two new Chilean projects are selected for MeetMarket. At Sunny Side of the Doc, 3 Chilean docs are selected across the market’s pitch sessions. “As the Ministry of Cultures, we remain committed to the audiovisual sector, supporting the presence of Chilean works and projects in major documentary markets and festivals,” says Carolina Arredondo, Minister of Cultures, Arts and Heritage.

The 2025 Sunny Side of the Doc pitch award winners were announced June 26 during the event’s closing ceremony. Over four days, the market gathered 2100 participants from 60 countries, over 1000 companies, 85 exhibitors, and 260 international decision-makers including major broadcasters, streamers, foundations, distributors, financiers, and museums from around the world. All winners…

Today kicks off two days of major archive activity at Sunny Side, with a showcase of six core archive companies, and panels on the decolonisation of First Nations archives and the preservation, restoration and promotion of African archives. In a June 26 keynote, Dawn Porter will share her experiences working with archives and present her latest film about Nelson Mandela. In addition, 18 archive companies are exhibiting this year in the Main Hall of SSD. Archive supremo Elizabeth Klinck tells BDE what to expect.

Nathalie Bourdon, Director of Distribution & Market Development at NFB, tells Business Doc Europe about her busy slate of Sunny Side films, prominent among which is Christopher Auchter’s The Stand, in which a small group of Haida people demand that the government work with Indigenous people to find a way to protect the land and their future. The film received a Special Mention of the Youth Jury at Sheffield Doc Fest.

Sitting on a potential goldmine of approximately 25% of the world's hydrocarbon reserves, the third-largest uranium reserves, and 20% of rare earths, Greenland is an icy Eldorado that today sparks all sorts of ambitions. “It's not the beauty of the landscapes which interests Donald Trump,” Jean-Yves Cauchard, co-director of Greenland, told the SSD professional audience of his latest project.

Eight projects will be presented in La Rochelle, four of which are competing within Sunny Side’s themed pitch sessions. The other four are at various stages, from development through to post-production. The projects are represented by Polish Docs Pro which delivers wide‑ranging promotion of the Polish documentary scene at a slew of international events throughout the year.

In the ‘Meet NHK’ session at Sunny Side of the Doc, Shin Yasuda, Head of International Co-productions and Acquisitions at NHK, presented a selection of current and future projects and, together with members of his team, highlighted his company’s acquisition and international co-production opportunities. NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) celebrates is 100th anniversary in 2025.

Executive producer Salla Kozma (pictured) announced June 19 the launch of her new Monaco and Finland-based film and TV production company Pig & Horse Productions. She also announced a “dynamic slate” of high-quality documentaries and unscripted formats, foremost among which is the high-end doc Reflections of Gaugin which “delves into the mystifying world of infamous art, wealth and power.”

Kicking off at Sheffield DocFest and Sunny Side before further roll-out across Europe, the 2025 Ex Oriente Features and Series workshop programs are designed “to support daring, author-driven documentaries from Central and Eastern Europe,” write organisers. This year’s edition brings together 12 feature-length documentary projects and 5 docuseries in development or early production stage, selected for their “creative potential and international relevance.”

18-year-old Abhilesh's uncle wants him to succeed in the wrestling academy so as to further his political career, but the boy just isn’t cut out for fighting, torn between duty and an unspoken yearning for something more. “In today's world, when wars are being waged by hyper-masculine men, our film quietly explores how masculinity isn't about following rigid ideas of social expectations but can be found in vulnerability, empathy and the courage to express yourself beyond your assigned roles,” Jadhav told the La Rochelle audience.