Three Canadian projects are participating in the 2025 Sunny Side of the Doc competition in La Rochelle, France.

A total of 42 projects representing 22 countries have been selected across seven thematic categories: Current Affairs & Investigation; Nature & Environment; Science; History; Arts & Entertainment; Impact Campaigns; and the New Voices section for emerging filmmakers.

All projects are eligible for the competition’s overall Best Pitch Prize, and cash prizes will also be awarded to the top project in each category.

The winners in the Current Affairs & Investigation, Nature & Environment, Science, History and New Voices strands will each receive a €3,000 prize, or approximately C$4,700, while those in Arts & Entertainment and Impact Campaigns will each receive €1,500, or about C$2,350. Toronto’s Blue Ant Media sponsors the Nature & Environment category via its Love Nature FAST channel.

According to a Sunny Side release, pitch sessions will take place in front of major broadcasters, streamers, foundations, distributors, buyers and other investors. All projects will receive support that includes mentorship from industry experts.

Selected in the Arts & Entertainment category is Eric Bednarski’s Canada/Germany/Poland coproduction Leonard Cohen: Behind the Iron Curtain. From Toronto’s Nomad Films, Germany’s Fireglory Pictures and Poland’s Silver Frame, the feature follows the poet and singer’s (pictured) 1985 tour of Poland.

Mathieu Fournier’s Gerald Bull: Truth is a Weapon is taking part in the History category. Hailing from Montreal’s Picbois Productions, the film tells the story of Bull, a North Bay, Ont. engineer who developed long-range artillery until his assassination in Belgium in 1990.

Montreal-based Rotating Planet Productions’ Rise from the Ashes is taking part in the competition’s Nature & Environment category. Directed by the prodco’s president and founder Ari A. Cohen, the film examines the wildlife of the boreal forest.

The 36th edition of the documentary conference will take place in La Rochelle, France from June 23 to 26.

With files from Realscreen

Image courtesy of Nomad Films, Fireglory Pictures and Silver Frame