Sunny Side of the Doc opened yesterday with close to 2,000 professionals from more than 60 countries and 120 documentary projects in La Rochelle. The market, a key meeting point for producers, distributors, channels, and institutions seeking to boost the business of documentary creation, opened its doors with the news that in 2027, it will move to Strasbourg - closing this chapter in the coastal city that has hosted it for over twenty years.

During the morning, Aurélie Reman, the festival's managing director, gave an emotional speech thanking the CNC, industry unions, and partners for their support after months of uncertainty. Together with Donata von Perfall, managing director of Documentary Campus, she announced an exclusive study for participants titled "The New Documentary Economy: Audiences, Funding and Distribution in Transition."

The most significant structural news of the day came from the National Centre for Cinema and the Animated Image (CNC) President Gaëtan Bruel, who officially confirmed that the international documentary market will permanently relocate to Strasbourg starting in 2027. ‘The new venue was selected for its strong institutional ecosystem, including the European Parliament and ARTE, and will feature a segment dedicated entirely to European issues’, he said. Complementing this, Sophie Jardillier, deputy director of Studies, Statistics and Foresight at the CNC, presented a statistical overview of the French sector, sharing that in 2025, the institute supported 1,646 hours of programming -the lowest level since 1998- with a total budget of 358.4 million euros. She also noted that France Télévisions remains the top broadcaster, although its contribution fell from 100 to 87 million euros, and highlighted that women now account for 41.4% of writing and directing teams.

Market panels also tackled the shifting production landscape. The session "The New Driving Forces of International Co-Production" addressed the future of joint ventures amid shrinking domestic funding. Tanja Tawadjoh of Ranfilm West noted, ‘international co-productions are gaining weight to offset domestic financial constraints, emphasizing a growing US interest in European stories’. Julie Chang of Serial Maven Studios pointed out: ‘Canada is a strong market due to its tax credits. "Baby Elephant School" is an example of this flexible financing model’. Meanwhile, NHK outlined its editorial strategy centered on Asian stories, presenting projects like the Bhutan co-production "Sky Tiger" and "Tower of Jesus", a documentary filmed over 15 years detailing the completion of Barcelona's Sagrada Família.

Additionally, LaScam presented an overview from the creators' perspective. Representatives addressed existential challenges such as the shift toward non-linear broadcasting and the threats posed by generative AI. Despite these concerns, LaScam recorded a historic financial performance for 2025, with collected rights reaching 127.98 million euros.

Looking ahead to today's schedule, Tuesday, June 23, the market will feature highly anticipated networking and strategic sessions. The China Pavilion hosts the "Copro Connections: China-Brazil" session at 11 am to build frameworks for audiovisual investments, followed by the "China Hour" to unveil cross-border cooperation plans. Attendees will also have access to key industry sessions throughout the day, starting with "Meet the Buyers: The Ultimate Marathon" at 10 am, moving into "In Conversation with PBS’s Geoff Daniels" at 12 pm, and concluding the afternoon's highlights with the panel "AI Free or AI Made: The New Documentary Grammar?" at 2 pm.

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