All the things outdoors could also be going to hell, however Sunny Aspect of the Doc is perhaps the non-fiction world’s solely actual completely happy place proper now. Presently in its 35th yr, the occasion is a testomony to the resilience of documentary filmmaking, each in its ongoing assist for reality-based storytelling in all its many varieties but in addition its appreciation for the form of assist community that’s sorely missing from function movie manufacturing. The emphasis right here is firmly on problem-solving, and tasks arrive in all potential states of manufacturing; some want cash to get began, others simply need patrons to get them out into the market. Some are as business as hell, others very area of interest, and the fantastic thing about this occasion is that every one are welcomed equally.
“It’s known as Sunny Aspect of the Doc for a motive,” notes Aurélie Reman, who has been with the occasion for 11 years and final yr grew to become Managing Director. Optimism is the key phrase, and it’s definitely infectious; a panel on the doubtless daunting topic of monetizing digital-only content material proved surprisingly encouraging to an viewers of delegates which can be searching for methods to interrupt freed from conventional financing streams. Meaningless jargon is discouraged right here, and Sunny Aspect’s makes an attempt to intensify the optimistic are as illuminating as the new summer season solar that pours down on the picturesque French fishing city of La Rochelle.
Deadline sat down with Reman to debate this yr’s version.
DEADLINE: When do you begin planning every re-creation? Does it begin instantly after the final one?
AURÉLIE REMAN: We’ve got debriefing classes proper afterwards, in July, then we’ve got a break. However in September we begin getting ready, serious about key developments. I’ve organized an advisory committee, so we have already got some anticipation on topics and subjects that we want to probe for subsequent yr. This yr’s central theme of recent routes to storytelling was a strategy to begin mapping up these new routes, being conscious that we possibly should differentiate the profiles of decision-makers or new financing sources, however that would be the subsequent step subsequent yr. So, whereas we’ve got recognized some key subjects, for me — being in my new function — I additionally wished to higher determine these pathways, whether or not you’re an unbiased producer, a distributor, or an rising expertise attempting to reach the worldwide markets. These are, for me, the three pathways we wish to carry on growing. It’s not about amount. It’s concerning the high quality of gamers we’re capable of appeal to.
DEADLINE: What had been the important thing areas you recognized this yr?
REMAN: This yr was actually about redesigning the subject of innovation, whether or not by way of storytelling boards, or by way of the best way to finance documentaries at this time, and likewise, in fact, by way of speaking about what can AI do for you, whether or not you’re a creator or a broadcaster. I actually wished this version to be very pragmatic, particularly as a result of we all know the difficulties that unbiased producers particularly are dealing with, by way of lack of commissioning. But additionally on the opposite aspect, for broadcasters, there have been quite a lot of finances cuts, particularly for public broadcasting. So, we actually wish to have an area the place we will have these powerful conversations, however we will additionally determine the widespread objectives. And to take action, I believe we want additionally to talk up, fairly frankly, about how a lot cash is definitely on the desk and suppose properly about the perfect vacation spot for factual content material.
DEADLINE: The place do you get your intel from? Is it all people usually, or do you lean on sure folks?
REMAN: We will lean on some key organizations like in France, we’re fortunate sufficient to have quite a lot of unions by way of unbiased producers, however we do journey lots, additionally attending different markets and boards. Yeah, that’s how we get the fabric. We run some surveys after every occasion as properly to higher perceive what the precise wants of the market are, whether or not it’s on the financing aspect, but in addition by way of subjects which they’re curious of, however they don’t essentially have the data or the important thing contacts. So, it helps us to ship programming that may lean into the anticipation of what’s coming but in addition be very life like on the precise state of the marketplace for documentaries.
DEADLINE: This yr you introduced a partnership with Latam Content material Assembly. How do you resolve on that form of focus? Are you responding to a cultural want, or do folks come to you asking for a platform? How does it mirror attendance?
REMAN: Simply by way of attendance, I believe we’re at 50/50 by way of French and worldwide, however 82% of attendees are European. On the identical time, we enable ourselves to be exploring additionally some new documentary territories. And, for instance, after we determined to collaborate with Latam Content material Assembly in Brazil, it was after we had recognized the truth that we obtained much less tasks coming from this area. So, it was first a query mark — it appeared like they’d stopped growing tasks, or, for some motive, they didn’t attain us anymore. So, we mentioned that with our companions. As a result of for me, the primary situation is to discover whether or not or not we expect the potential can change into one thing extra sustainable.
And in doing so, generally Sunny Aspect goes past. It’s not nearly internet hosting a territory showcase; it’s about correctly advising native public funding establishments. and even working mentoring packages on the sphere. And that’s what we did with Brazil. We additionally got here up with a robust delegation of producers, some key representatives with cash and likewise some channels and streamers who’re getting used to the thought of worldwide co-production, as a result of we assist them perceive higher what it truly meant from a European perspective. It doesn’t imply it’s the one strategy to do it, as a result of we additionally should adapt the mannequin to these coming from World South nations and territories to higher perceive their audiences. We attempt to construct bridges. That’s the purpose.
DEADLINE: AI is all over the place this yr, however you haven’t gone overboard on the topic. How did you method it?
REMAN: I believe we actually wished it to be recognized not simply as a threat, or as a hazard, or as a no-go, although we all know — and a few channels have spoken up about this — the belief subject is essential, particularly in at this time’s political and geopolitical context. However then it’s additionally a query of how do you redistribute the worth of content material creation? And so, persons are saying, “OK, may we promote our content material to AI generative instruments?” As a result of that’s a brand new income stream that we had not recognized, and we even have to contemplate it, sure. However then, by doing so, what sort of content material will then be created? And I believe we’re all conscious in our documentary neighborhood that we wouldn’t enter a mannequin or course of that may find yourself creating biased info, biased documentary, biased photographs, biased behaviors. And so, all of us wish to be accountable for the work we do, but it surely’s simple that by way of value of productions, that will also be a really large assist. I typically hear from AI professionals, or folks truly working within the discipline, that we are literally fairly late, and that our neighborhood additionally wants to grasp that it’ll most likely change the best way we work, change the professions. I imply, it’s going quicker.
DEADLINE: Do you discover that issues are shifting quicker now than maybe you’re used to seeing?
REMAN: Yeah. And that’s why we had a panel dialog about digital first his yr. A number of the key gamers we had on the panel have truly labored [in that field] for 11 years already. I don’t essentially see our conventional documentary producer or broadcasters making it a precedence, however that’s the thought. What do you do when you might have fewer commissions and you continue to must run your manufacturing firm? That’s one of many key questions that we’ve got been asking right here at Sunny Aspect. However I additionally suppose we have to reply them collectively, as a result of it’s not only a matter of what can producer do other than distributors, it must recreate a brand new enterprise mannequin the place we’d share widespread curiosity. How a lot cash do we want? How a lot cash can we make?
However then it’s additionally concerning the ethics. And that’s why we additionally wished to have a giant strand devoted to authenticity in storytelling, as a result of altering the mannequin can even require us to maintain doorways open from World South territories and abilities, ensuring we do equitable worldwide co-production, since co-production appears to be the answer and we’re born as a global co-pro market and we wish to stay that manner. Then I suppose the values behind it, and particularly in that documentary neighborhood would have to be redefined. And I hope Sunny Aspect is an area to have these sorts of conversations as properly. However we’re very resilient. Even in my 11 years at Sunny Aspect, I’ve seen our neighborhood capable of adapt. I’ve typically heard the phrase “Adapt or die”. [Laughs.] That’s the place I see issues going. I would love us to have the ability to anticipate reasonably than react in our function as a market occasion.
DEADLINE: Is there something you introduced on this yr that you simply haven’t achieved earlier than, or something you’ve refined in a specific manner?
REMAN: Yeah. Nicely, the Innovation Summit is new. The Archive Summit is new as properly, with a particular method additionally on First Nations, with regard to the decolonization of archives — as a result of with these new nations coming to the markets, they arrive with totally different problematics. And sometimes for First Nation communities, or African nations, it has been about, initially, decolonizing the audiovisual heritage. I believe is essential, additionally, to be heard and understood in Europe, to search out higher methods to work additionally with these skills and assist them in telling the tales on their very own however realizing that they actually wish to attain world audiences as properly. When it comes to what’s new, the distribution aspect might be one thing we highlighted, as a result of they wanted to be extra seen, as a result of their function has been altering they usually actually have to be recognized as companions for creatives.
DEADLINE: What do you suppose entices folks to return right here to Sunny Aspect?
REMAN: Nicely, I’m going to repeat what I’ve heard these previous few days. I do know it’s troublesome generally to succeed in La Rochelle, however when you’re right here, folks actually really feel that feelgood environment. Persons are extra laid again, it’s the final occasion of its type within the season, and everybody finds even the channels and executives are far more accessible. That’s one factor. However we additionally wish to preserve a human-sized market as properly, so I’d reasonably hold issues at round a bit greater than 2,000 delegates by ensuring we’ve got essentially the most related folks. Additionally, as a result of it’s nice worth to have, in France, a really worldwide occasion that is ready to appeal to professionals from abroad firms, and occasion that’s centered on enterprise. It’s a market, we’re not a pageant, and we’ve achieved it for greater than 35 years now, and it actually distinguished us by way of what we provide. The pitching classes are sturdy, they actually reply to what the market is searching for. We all the time handle to maintain near what the trade wants, and, because of this, we create an ideal neighborhood really feel, I believe.
