The final edition of Sunny Side of the Doc came to a close June 24 after bringing together 1,500 participants from 55 countries, 10 international delegations, over 800 companies, 73 exhibitors and a cohort of 190 international decision-makers.
A new international documentary market, supported by the CNC, the City of Strasbourg, the Eurométropole de Strasbourg and the Grand Est Region, will be held in Strasbourg as of June 2027.
Aurélie Reman, Managing Director of Sunny Side of the Doc, said: “This 2026 edition has been one of mobilisation, 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!”
Donata von Perfall, Managing Director of Documentary Campus, added: “This partnership with Sunny Side of the Doc reflected something I believe deeply: when the right movements, the right timing and the right momentum come together, real change follows for the whole market. Meet & Match and Speed Dating are two new formats born directly from this collaboration, built into these three days to support producers and their projects every step of the way. Seeing the overwhelming positive response of the participants fills me with gratitude and reaffirms the reason of a new opportunity to come.”
“At a time of transition for the sector, the 2026 programme has been condensed into three days and designed to provide clarity and space for reflection, just as the industry is seeking a new direction,” the doc market underlined in its press release.
Roman Jeanneau, President of Doc Services which organised Sunny Side of the Doc since its inception in Marseille in 1990, 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.”
