The China Pavilion returns to Sunny Side of the Doc in La Rochelle from 22 to 24 June, marking its ninth consecutive appearance at the international documentary market. Positioned as a bridge between Chinese producers and global buyers, the pavilion will present 30 projects spanning science, ecology, culture, history and emerging production technologies.
Participating organisations include China Intercontinental Communication Center, Guangdong Radio and Television, Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation, Beijing Radio & Television Station, and Chengdu Radio & Television. Among the headline titles is Missions to the Moon, a 92-minute feature documenting China’s Chang’e-6 mission and the first return of samples from the far side of the Moon. Chinese White Dolphin, a two-part natural history series filmed over six years in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, has already secured a European deal. ARTE acquired rights to the series, with French- and German-language broadcasts planned for 2027 across European territories.
The pavilion’s cultural and historical slate includes Shining Treasures of China, The Potala Palace: Between Heaven and History, and Bridges and Currents: Beijing’s Other Pulse. It will also foreground the growing use of artificial intelligence in documentary production through the experimental work Fly with the Swift. Organisers say the presentation will address both creative possibilities and the ethical limits of AI-generated material, particularly in relation to documentary authenticity.
Industry activity will extend beyond sales. China Hour on 23 June will introduce new co-production projects and licensing opportunities, while Copro Connections: China-Brazil will bring Chinese delegates together with Brazilian broadcasters, producers, streamers and investors. Timed to coincide with the 2026 China-Brazil Cultural Year, the session will cover co-production, financing, distribution, rights exchange and FAST-channel development, signalling a wider strategy to turn cultural diplomacy into sustained audiovisual partnerships. The programme presents the pavilion as a showcase and a practical marketplace for long-term international collaboration.
