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 to La Rochelle for its 37th edition.
It is still a three-day B2B event, but more “streamlined” and “efficient,” with a new structure that eschews traditional on-stage pitches, opting instead for direct, discussion-driven encounters.
“When we came on board, we had just a few months to rethink the whole format,” Documentary Campus MD Donata von Perfall tells BDE. “We asked ourselves: what is Sunny Side really about? It’s a market. It’s about people doing business efficiently. We have CPH:DOX, IDFA, FIPADOC and many fantastic pitching platforms, [and] Documentary Campus has its own. So rather than replicate what already exists, we developed a more collaborative, discussion-driven model through the new Meet & Match structure.”
“Nearly 120 projects were selected based on market readiness, matched by genre, financing needs, and what they were looking for; co-producers, distributors, impact producers,” she adds. “The goal was efficient, meaningful exchange rather than performance. Do I still believe in public pitching? Absolutely, but for Sunny Side in 2026, this format felt more honest and more useful. As for the future, I’d love to see the format evolve to include brands and alternative funding bodies as active participants, for whom the Meet & Match structure makes more sense.”
Von Perfall was as surprised and dismayed as all of us following the announcement of Sunny Side’s cancellation in late 2025, but was equally thrilled by how the local and international doc industry gathered to reverse this decision within a matter of mere weeks.
“When I heard the news, I was actually at the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers in Rio,” she recalls. “Sunny Side of the Doc has always been part of my career, and I was genuinely struck by the remarkable emotional response from the industry, from World Congress members, the press, and the French community. That reaction made the necessity of acting very clear.”
“I was deeply impressed by the unification of French support through the CNC to bring the market back to life. For Documentary Campus, it then became a question of how quickly we could respond and what we could bring to the table. Altogether, we had to act very fast, but the strength of the industry’s reaction left no doubt that it was worth it. And I am very proud that we all together did it and the huge response of registrations this year do confirm our efforts.”
A core development in 2026 is the Right Move initiative that promises to offer “the insights, connections and practical tools that the industry needs to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape.” Through keynotes, conversations and case studies, leading voices will explore today’s key challenges—from rights and financing to new business models and the digital transition. “Designed for decision-makers and creators alike, the programme delivers actionable ideas and opportunities to help move projects forward,” SSD organisers underline.
Headline speakers include Ben Zand, Founder and CEO of Zandland, who is building a new model by creating, funding, and distributing documentaries entirely in-house. His keynote will confront what actually resonates with audiences today beyond clicks, and what it takes to build lasting engagement in an ecosystem where audiences are increasingly elusive.
Helle Faber, Oscar-winning producer (Mr Nobody Against Putin) at Made in Copenhagen, will deliver a keynote on international co-production in a time of unprecedented change. As traditional financing narrows and the balance of power shifts, her session will give a clear-eyed view of what is changing, what remains essential, and how producers can navigate this moment to decisively make the right move.
Other confirmed speakers include Jen Topping, who will assess the real value of YouTube for documentary producers, and how to use it strategically. High-profile keynotes and “straight talk” sessions will tackle the toughest challenges: closing financing gaps, forging viable international alliances, and navigating an ecosystem reshaped by exclusivity and platform power.
Broadcasters in tow include France Télévisions, NHK, China Media Group, BBC, ARTE, Canal+ Group, and the Global Doc pubcasters alliance will share transparent insights on budgets, co-production priorities, and partnership expectations for the next 12 to 24 months.
“The documentary industry is under immense pressure right now. But, I also see greater opportunities than ever,” Von Perfall articulates a future trajectory of the sector, as she sees it. “The financing landscape has fundamentally changed. Producers can no longer rely on a single gatekeeping model. We’re seeing co-productions having a real revival, new digital-first approaches, impact funding, brand partnerships, educational platforms, podcasts, cross-media collaborations. On TikTok you can now go up to thirty minutes; on YouTube, ninety. Revenues are improving. But simply adapting is not easy, and that’s exactly why markets like Sunny Side of the Doc and organisations like Documentary Campus are becoming more important, not less.”
“The old assumption that there’s one correct financing path needs to go. Documentary filmmakers need to think more like entrepreneurs, about rights, partnerships, audiences, and long-term sustainable outreach from the very beginning. Innovation now is organisational and financial. That’s what we need to be discussing.”
Other intriguing sessions at SSD26 include the June 23 interrogation of the ‘digital first’ model by top execs from CBC, YouTube, GloboPlay and ARTE France, answering the question ‘is digital-first a genuine business model or just the industry’s latest coping mechanism?’ The session will look to cut through the hype to examine what digital-first actually means in practice, from financing structures and rights strategies to the creeping tyranny of shorter formats, and the algorithms that rule it all.
The preceding day (June 22) Amanda Groom (The Bridge) will chair a panel to sift through the ever-shifting sands of documentary and factual programming financing, while on January 24, top US doccer Louise Rosen will chair two key archive events, the first of which will investigate how to monetise archives, partner around them and turn them into active content engines. The afternoon New From The Archive showcase will reimagine the archive pitch as a creative encounter, all in the company of lead execs from Getty Images, Reuters and British Pathé.
So what will constitute a successful edition for Documentary Campus’ Von Persfall after doors close on the re-imagined SSD in 2026?
“Deals matter. Financing outcomes matter. Partnerships matter, especially in this difficult climate. But for me, success in 2026 would also mean something less measurable,” she responds.
“People should leave La Rochelle feeling that the documentary field still has collective momentum and imagination. If producers feel less isolated, if broadcasters feel reconnected to creative risk, if new alliances emerge across sectors, and if difficult conversations happen honestly rather than diplomatically, then the market has done something genuinely important.”
“We are trying to rebuild confidence, not just through optimism, but also through practical collaboration. If this edition helps the industry move from a sense of fragmentation toward a renewed sense of shared purpose, I would consider that a very meaningful success,” Von Perfall ends.
