Sunny Side of the Doc: Departure of Mathieu Béjot for a new position and creation of an International Advisory Committe

La Rochelle, July 18, 2024 - Sunny Side of the Doc, the international marketplace dedicated to linear and non-linear documentaries, announces today the departure of Mathieu Béjot for a new position in India. He has been Director of Strategy and Development at Doc Services, a position he has held as an independent, since January 2020.

Following the passing of Sunny Side of the Doc co-founder Yves Jeanneau in 2019, Mathieu Béjot was brought in by Roman Jeanneau to ensure the continuity and excellence of the market. This mission, carried out successfully thus far, comes to an end this summer following a smooth handover between newly appointed Managing Director Aurélie Reman (April 2024) and the former Director of Strategy and Development.

Mathieu Béjot and Aurélie Reman © Jean François Augé

“We wish Mathieu Béjot the best of luck in his exciting new cultural mission at the French Embassy in India. Over the past five years, Mathieu has worked with the team to infuse new energy into the market and open it to new horizons. Events, particularly online, such as the Global Pitch, have been created; the programming has been enriched with diverse perspectives from new territories, and emerging narrative forms, always encouraging international co-production. These are assets that today serve the documentary community, which is dear to Mathieu and appreciates him in return,” says Aurélie Reman, Managing Director of Doc Services.

 

"I’m particularly proud to have contributed to making Sunny Side a more inclusive event and opening it to new voices."

 

Mathieu Béjot comments: "It’s been an incredibly exciting - though challenging – five years assisting Sunny Side of the Doc in a period of transition after Yves Jeanneau passed away and while the industry has been in turmoil. I would like to thank the international documentary community for their continued support and trust. It’s been a privilege to serve you and to promote a genre which is essential in democracies. I’m particularly proud to have contributed to making Sunny Side a more inclusive event and opening it to new voices. The time has come to walk the talk, and it's only natural that Sunny Side's face is no longer mine. I’ve been working closely with Aurélie Reman to ensure that Sunny Side of the Doc will adapt to a fast-changing and unpredictable environment. Aurélie brings ten years of comprehensive experience at Sunny Side with the new fresh eyes of her recent appointment as the Managing Director of Doc Services. I know that she has the vision and the understanding to make the right decisions and write a successful new chapter for Sunny Side. Expect her and her team to deliver another stellar event in 2025!"

In a globally fragile context for the industry, Sunny Side of the Doc fully understands its role in supporting the ecosystem and it is setting up an Advisory Committee whose members will be announced soon. Composed of various industry professionals, this international committee will bring its expertise and networks to fuel ongoing reflections on the market's evolution and enable Sunny Side of the Doc to develop sustainably, always meeting the challenges and needs of the documentary community.

The 35th edition of Sunny Side of the Doc (June 24-27, 2024, Espace Encan, La Rochelle) brought together 2,100 participants from 68 countries, more than 1,000 companies, 90 exhibitors, and 250 international decision-makers, including major broadcasters, streamers, foundations, distributors, financiers, and museums from around the world. The market welcomed 40 international delegations from Australia, Spain, Brazil, Canada, and China.

 

 

Upcoming Sunny Side of the Doc events:
PiXii Festival, 8th edition, October 17-20, 2024, La Rochelle & Rochefort
Pitch sessions @LatAm Content Market, March 10-13, 2025
Sunny Side of the Doc, 36th edition June 23-26, 2025, La Rochelle

Visit the press area for more information on the past edition