The deadline for pitch submissions to Sunny Side of the Doc 2023 is imminent, organisers have reminded participants of the La Rochelle event. Producers and doc creatives have until 11am GMT on April 6 to get their applications to benefit from access to 2,200+ participants from 60+ countries between 19-22 June 2023.
Over the course of the four-day event designed to maximise investment and co-production opportunities, 42 pre-selected projects will be presented to a panel of industry insiders from around the globe, including leading commissioning editors, buyers, funds, sales agents, distributors and co-production partners. The best pitched projects will be awarded by Sunny Side sponsors, in cash and/or in kind.
“With 300+ top-level international decision makers in attendance, representing leading broadcasters, streamers, foundations, sales agents and other funders looking for impactful stories, pitching at Sunny Side is a unique opportunity,” say organisers.
“Key benefits also include: accessing a qualified and diverse professional audience, mentoring from industry experts, sealing financial deals, finding potential partners, meeting with peers for potential co-production discussions, and much more,” organisers continue.
The pitching sessions will be held on-site and online in order to accommodate participants who may not be able to travel to France.
Pitching sessions 2023
Sunny Side of the Doc 2023 will offer 7 pitching sessions, including 5 specialist factual categories:
- Science: all types of science projects, from blue-chip and hard science to popular science
- History
- Arts and Culture
- Nature & Conservation: natural history, environment, climate related stories
- Global Issues: current affairs, investigation, social issues, human interest
Focus of the Year
In 2023 Sunny Side 2023 will focus on viewers in terms of who watches what, where and why? “Documentary is currently enjoying a Golden Age. Streamers have certainly impacted the documentary space, by boosting the exposure and popularity of the genre and pushing for new forms of storytelling. At the same time, with a profusion of content and entertainment options, the audience is ever more fragmented,” say organisers.
“What does it take to address and reach an audience, particularly a younger and more diverse audience?” organisers continue. “We wish to provide the industry with two key elements in order to adapt to a rapidly changing environment: including new talents who can bring their own fresh perspective and engaging audiences beyond the screen life of documentaries.”
Sunny Side of the Doc will therefore present two further pitching sessions this year:
- New Voices: looking for first and second time filmmakers/content creators with projects with international potential. “We welcome emerging filmmakers, new issues inspiring stories and hidden gems, etc.”
- Impact campaigns (6 projects): with documentary as a powerful tool for change, the market is looking for docs on highly social, political, environmental topics or which offer a new vision that makers want to share in order to raise awareness and trigger social change. This new pitching session is looking to enable such activism. Projects can be at development, production or even finished phase and in need of an impact campaign. The session will address how to finance it, with whom and for what result?
All formats are welcome across the 7 pitch sessions: broadcast length, series, documentary projects with XR versions, digital native projects, new narrative experiences etc. “Non-linear projects are part of an innovative approach that is close to our heart and whose goal is to find new audiences on all possible media. The innovation component of Sunny Side is entering new developments with a whole series of events dedicated to digital programs which will be detailed soon,” organisers write.
For more info on eligibility and how to submit, click here. https://www.sunnysideofthedoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SSD23_Call_Projects_EN.pdf
