40th Anniversary AIDC to take place in Sydney in 2027

AIDC is thrilled to reveal that for its 40th anniversary edition in March 2027, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) will be the new host city for the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC), with support from Screen NSW as the Principal Partner for the event.

AIDC is the premier industry event for documentary and factual storytelling in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting global buyers – including broadcasters, streamers, distributors, film festivals and funds –  as well as screen industry representatives and practitioners from across Australia and around the world.

After 11 successful editions in Melbourne, Victoria, 2027 will mark the 40th year of AIDC’s existence and the first time the event has been hosted in NSW in over 20 years.

AIDC 2027 will take place from Monday 8 March – Thursday 11 March in Sydney, NSW, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and be held across the Art Gallery of New South Wales, State Library of NSW and Botanic Gardens of Sydney. These three iconic locations will create a unique precinct close to Sydney CBD for all delegates and attendees.

An online international marketplace, incorporating industry representatives participating remotely in AIDC’s curated producer-decision maker meetings program, will also take place over two days: Tuesday 23 March and Wednesday 24 March 2027.  

The world-class annual event is aimed at driving creativity, collaboration and innovation, unlocking market and industry development opportunities and elevating the craft and business of nonfiction storytelling to contribute to a vibrant, diverse and sustainable screen industry ecosystem.

The 2027 program will include sessions covering craft, business and innovation, networking events, and screenings and a globally renowned marketplace for documentary and factual content featuring a central pitching forum, curated pitch meetings, and roundtables. 

AIDC 2027 will also deliver a suite of bespoke industry and professional development programs for all career levels, including emerging, diverse and First Nations practitioners, as well as a national AIDC Awards program to recognise excellence in Australian documentary and factual content.

Early bird registration for AIDC 2027 – with a 25% discount on full price passes – is now open for a limited time or until sold out, with the first lineup of guest speakers and industry representatives for the event to be announced in October 2026, followed by the full event program in late January 2027.

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AIDC and Screen NSW celebrate new partnership

AIDC’s new partnership with Screen NSW will shine a spotlight on New South Wales as a destination for interstate and international screen leaders and the Asia-Pacific hub for screen business.

For AIDC – which is a national organisation and has presented the event around the country since its first edition in 1987 in McLaren Vale, South Australia – including one edition in Sydney in 1993 – the current move represents an exciting evolution for the conference and its delegates.  

AIDC CEO / Creative Director Natasha Gadd said:

“As AIDC celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2027, we are thrilled to be ushering in our next chapter in the heart of Sydney, home to the highest representation of documentary and factual practitioners, production companies and industry buyers in Australia.

“At this time of significant change for our sector, funding from Screen NSW will support AIDC to continue to enhance the broader documentary and factual ecosystem and to create vital opportunities for truth telling, diverse perspectives and bold storytelling.

“Held on Gadigal Country across the Art Gallery of New South Wales, State Library of NSW and Botanic Gardens of Sydney, AIDC 2027 will create a refreshed setting and a unique conference precinct to champion and inspire new ideas, stories, collaborations and project outcomes.

“We extend our thanks to our new Principal Partner Screen NSW as well as Presenting Partner Screen Australia, Major Partners ABC and SBS and all of our industry collaborators, to ring in this exciting new era for AIDC and our tenacious, creative and innovative documentary and factual sector.

“We look forward to celebrating our 40th anniversary with you all for AIDC 2027.”

Screen NSW Executive Director Kylie Munnich said: 

“As the leading industry event for the documentary and factual sector in the Southern Hemisphere, I’m proud that NSW will be home to the Australian International Documentary Conference for its 40th anniversary in 2027, with support from Screen NSW. Our iconic NSW cultural institutions will provide the perfect backdrop for the conference, and I’m thrilled to have the Art Gallery of New South Wales, State Library of NSW, along with Botanic Gardens of Sydney on board as host venues.

“Documentary and factual storytelling is vital and timely, sparking conversations and offering new and different world views for audiences. It’s important the sector is well supported and connected so they can continue to deliver and explore these compelling stories. AIDC is an essential opportunity for practitioners, buyers, commissioners and partners to come together and set priorities for the sector, collaborate and future-proof the industry as it evolves. The conference is also a chance to celebrate and recognise the incredible work of our talented local documentary and factual filmmakers.

“As the conference prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary, a remarkable milestone to hit, I look forward to welcoming all delegates and attendees to Sydney for AIDC 2027.”

Sydney and NSW industry welcome AIDC

A number of notable Sydney-based directors and producers gathered at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Friday 21 August to mark the announcement alongside Natasha Gadd and Kylie Munnich, including journalist and documentary storyteller Marc Fennell, Northern Pictures’ Head of Factual Karina Holden; Managing Director of WildBear Entertainment Alan Erson, science communicator Dr. Naomi Koh Belic, Songbird Studios Managing Director and producer of the Academy Award®-nominated Porcelain War, Camilla Mazzaferro; and award-winning First Nations filmmaker Daniel King.

Karina Holden, 2024 AIDC Southern Light Award-winner and Head of Factual at Northern Pictures (Ages of Ice, Rolf Harris: Primetime Predator, Love on the Spectrum) said:

“Having been part of AIDC for more than 20 years, I’ve seen the magic that happens when our industry steps away from the edit suites and comes together to spark ideas, forge collaborations and remember why we do this in the first place. Bringing AIDC to Sydney feels like an exciting new chapter, and I can’t wait to welcome storytellers from across the country to a city where so many of us work and create, but rarely get the chance to come together as one community.”

Marc Fennell – Walkley Award-winning journalist, documentary storyteller, and creator and host of Australian-Canadian co-production Stuff the British Stole – said:

“AIDC is one of those rare events that genuinely matters to our industry. It’s the only event in Australia completely dedicated to the art, craft and business of documentary and factual storytelling.

“For people like me who work across documentaries, factual series and audio, it’s a chance to get out of our bubbles, get inspired, meet collaborators and, crucially, find new ways to actually get projects off the ground. And in what is, frankly, a bloody tough market, those connections between filmmakers, commissioners, buyers and funding partners are more vital than ever.

“I’ve been attending AIDC in Melbourne for the last five years and I always leave with new ideas, new relationships and new conversations about projects. I’ve loved the Melbourne pilgrimage, but I’m incredibly excited to see AIDC come to Sydney and connect our huge community of documentary and factual makers with the international industry – which will no doubt ensure more Australian stories find audiences around the world.”

Reflecting on 11 unforgettable years in Victoria

The move to Sydney comes after 11 successful editions in Melbourne supported by Principal Partner VicScreen, Presenting Partners Screen Australia and ACMI alongside a host of industry partners. Over this time, we welcomed 7,890 new and returning delegates from Australia and around the globe, building an internationally recognised reputation as the Southern Hemisphere’s premier gathering for the documentary and factual industry.

Across these 11 editions, AIDC generated more than AUD $26 million in economic impact for its host state of Victoria. The AIDC marketplace supported over 1,850 projects, and curated 5,154 meetings through 100 pitch initiatives between producers and broadcasters, streamers, sales agents, distributors, grants and funds. Over 1,280 contributions by high profile local and international speakers and session moderators –  including creators, innovators and business experts representing diverse storytelling perspectives –  provided insights and expertise for AIDC audiences.

AIDC also created tailored  initiatives that have provided vital industry development opportunities for more than 350 projects since 2019, unlocking over $3.4 million in development funds, placements and prizes. And as part of its commitment to a diverse and inclusive sector, AIDC has welcomed over 570 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and global First Nations practitioners since launching its Indigenous Creators Program in 2019, as well as 350 emerging and diverse practitioners attending AIDC for the first time as a result of its Leading Lights program launched in 2018.

AIDC gratefully acknowledges the vital collaboration and contribution of VicScreen as Principal Partner and ACMI as a Presenting Partner for the last 11 years, and is now looking to build and expand on this exceptional record of achievement as it moves into its 40th year with new Principal Partner Screen NSW.

AIDC as global industry destination of choice

AIDC’s achievements in Victoria epitomise an organisation built to adapt in the face of rapid change. Where the disruptive global pressures of COVID-19, technological upheaval, sector-wide contraction, and geopolitical instability have caused comparable industry events to scale back, pause or cease operation, AIDC has continued to move forward. By innovating and adapting its model, AIDC has continued to deliver on its purpose and to deepen opportunities, and expand outcomes for the sector year on year. 

Central to that resilience has been AIDC’s steady growth as a genuinely international marketplace, connecting Australian documentary and factual practitioners with decision makers, financiers and collaborators from every major content region.

International decision makers in the marketplace

Each year, AIDC’s Marketplace draws commissioners, broadcasters, distributors, sales agents and streamers from Australia and across the globe. The past 11 editions have welcomed broadcasters and streamers including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Stan, Paramount, National Geographic, ABC, BBC, CBC, Al Jazeera, ARTE France, NHK, and SBS; plus funds and foundations like Sundance, The Whickers, Chicken & Egg, and Shark Island Foundation; and international sales and distribution companies such as Dogwoof, TVF, Submarine, Madman Entertainment, and MetFilm Sales.

In a bid to drive international collaborations, AIDC has hosted Canadian, New Zealand and French delegations, and facilitated international co-production markets.

It also has a history of reciprocal cultural partnerships that involve participation at international industry forums including CCDF (Taiwan), DMZ Docs Industry (South Korea), Doc Edge (New Zealand), Docs by the Sea (Indonesia), DOK Leipzig (Germany), Hot Docs (Canada), Sheffield Doc Fest (United Kingdom), Sunny Side of the Doc (France), and Visions du Réel (Switzerland), where AIDC presents pitch prizes to support cross-border collaboration.

FACTory Pitch and Cut to the Chase: a global project pipeline

Opening for 2027 submissions on Wednesday 16 September 2026, AIDC’s flagship international pitching forum, The FACTory, each year selects up to 15 world-class documentary and factual projects for its international pitching showcase. The FACTory connects Australian and international projects in development  directly with commissioning editors, funders and distributors from around the world, with the aim of converting pitch-ready projects into commissioned and internationally co-produced content. 

Opening for 2027 applications on Wednesday 28 October 2026, Cut to the Chase, AIDC’s curated producer–decision maker meetings program, extends this international reach further, matching Australian and international projects with industry buyers for one-on-one pitch meetings. For AIDC 2027, this international engagement will also be delivered through a dedicated online international marketplace component, incorporating virtual industry representatives into the Cut to the Chase program over two days.

Recent international projects that have appeared in the AIDC marketplace include Replica (Australia, China, Denmark), Iron Winter (Mongolia, Australia), Copan (Brazil, France), Sukundimi Walks Before Me (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea), Unlikely Kin (New Zealand), Hip Hop Land (Canada), Delikado (United States, the Philippines) The Shape of Blue (Canada, Japan), Make it Look Real (Australia, United States, United Kingdom), The Myth of Monsters (Singapore, Malaysia), Death of a Shaman (Ecuador, Australia), Blue Island (Hong Kong), Our Hoolocks (India, South Korea), and many more.

AIDC 2027 will take place 8-11 March in Sydney, NSW, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, State Library of NSW and Botanic Gardens of Sydney, followed by an online international marketplace 23-24 March. 

AIDC 2027 is presented by Principal Partner Screen NSW, Presenting Partner Screen Australia, and Major Partners ABC and SBS. 

For more information about AIDC and updates for the 2027 event, please visit www.aidc.com.au

Main Image: (L-R) Kylie Munnich (Executive Director, Screen NSW), Marc Fennell (journalist and documentary storyteller), Karina Holden (Head of Factual, Northern Pictures), Alan Erson (Managing Director, WildBear Entertainment), Dr. Naomi Koh Belic (science communicator), Camilla Mazzaferro (Managing Director, Songbird Studios), Natasha Gadd (CEO / Creative Director, AIDC), Daniel King (Founder / Director, First Person Films).

Credit: Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport