Five Asia-Pacific projects have been selected by Sunny Side of the Doc for this year’s edition, which runs in the French town of La Rochelle from 23-26 June. 

The five, which represent 12% of the total 42 projects from 22 countries in the 2025 official selection, were unveiled today. 

This year’s call yielded 328 documentary submissions from 56 countries, including 15 new countries compared to last year. The “new voices” category for first or second films accounted for 24% of submissions, organisers said in today’s announcement.

Three of the five are from Australia. The other two – both in the “new voices” category – are from India and China. 

From China, the Shanghai Media Group’s “Restless Farewell”, directed by Nan YANG and Peiyun HE, is about third-generation migrant workers. 

Indian programme “Taalim”, by Paper Planes Pictures, is about an 18-year-old trainee at a  traditional Indian wrestling academy who  struggles under the weight of his uncle’s political ambitions and his guru’s rigid ideals of masculinity.”Taalim” is directed by Vaibhav JADHAV. 

The three Australian projects include Wild Pacific Media’s  “Kingdom of the Crocodile” in the nature and environment category. Directed by Nick Robinson, the project is described as a “high-drama natural history series” that follows three saltwater crocodiles on a wild Australian river battling to endure the extreme seasons, protect their young and dominate a kingdom of their own. 

The second Australian programme is “Heart” (science category) from Australia’s Millstream Productions and Green Marble Productions. Directed by Gloor Alaneo, “Heart” follows one of the most challenging and far-reaching medical breakthroughs of all time – the quest to create a machine heart. 

The John Harvey-directed history documentary, “Atomic Paradise”, produced by Australia’s Sam Content reframes the atomic bomb testing programme of the Pacific region through a First Nations lens.