Sunny Side of the Doc Prize handed out at CCDF-13

Our team was delighted to award a Sunny Side of the Doc Prize to one of the 18 pitched projects at the CNEX Chinese Doc Forum. The documentary “The Winged Fighters”  - portraying three dedicated bird protectors fighting to China’s migratory birds safe from poachers – wins two free accreditations for Sunny Side of the Doc 2023.

About the event

This year, the CCDF Pitching forum gathered eighteen powerful documentary projects coming from Asia while for the second time in a row, CCDF chose to add a new dimension to its event: Investing for Good. This new category explored the world of impact documentaries through a selection of eight projects addressing a huge subject such as climate change or gender equality or specific focussed concerns such as access for the handicapped.

On this occasion, Sunny Side of the Doc was pleased to hand out its SSD Prize to one of the eighteen pitched projects: The Winged Fighters – a powerful wildlife documentary depicting the life of three dedicated bird protectors fighting to China’s migratory birds safe from poachers.

The winning team Estelle LI and Cicy LIN gets two​ free accreditations for the 34th edition of Sunny Side of the Doc taking place from 19 to 22 June 2023 in La Rochelle (France).

Synopsis

Three of eight global bird migratory routes pass by China. Birds in China are suffering from not only habitat loss but also poaching. Although the Chinese government banned the poaching and selling of the bird in 1997, illicit trading has been rampant. Overall, 146 bird species (10.6% of the birds of China) were threatened.Nesting, laying eggs, and migrating are important moments for migrant birds.We will follow the story of three bird protectors dedicated to protecting the birds in these important moments.  Ranger FU Jianguo, spends 300 days of the year patrolling in the field for the birds.Rescue station holder TIAN Zhiwei, works as a bird babysitter in Bohai Bay, the main stopover of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Animal rights activist LIU Yidan, follows birds’ migratory steps and fights against the poachers. Will the survival birds finally arrive at their wintering destination in southern China?

Winged Fighters

© The Winged Fighters

Our Word

 "The Winged Fighters follows three bird protectors, including an incredibly strong main protagonist, to tell a courageous and important story about the impact of poaching on migratory birds in China. We believe that Sunny Side of the Doc will enable director Cicy Lin and producer Estelle Li find international partners to make a film with a broader appeal." - Mathieu Béjot, Director of Strategy and development at Sunny Side of the Doc.