Sunny Side 26

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 new film, 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.

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.

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.

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.

The Brazilian project, directed by Ana Ahranha and produced by Mariana Genescá (Amana Cine) highlights the challenges around the protection of farms and nature against pesticides. It also features the main character's desire to fight for a better world for her daughter. The team wins two free Market Passes for Sunny Side of the Doc 2026, which will take place from June 22 to 24, 2026, in La Rochelle, France.

Sunny Side of the Doc 2026 announced April 15 first speakers for the re-established event, running 22–24 June 2026 in La Rochelle, France. “Financing is...

The Indian feature documentary project Silver Linings, presented at Docedge Kalkota 2026, was awarded March 9 the Sunny Side of the Doc Prize, which...

After the December 2025 announcement to cancel its 2026 edition, Sunny Side of the Doc will return to La Rochelle (France) from 22 to 24 June 2026 with a new format in partnership with Documentary Campus. “Together with Documentary Campus, we are reinforcing our role as a key marketplace while creating fresh opportunities for the professionals who firmly stood up for it," says Aurélie Reman, Sunny Side MD.