The Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) will move to Sydney in 2027, marking the first time the event has been held in New South Wales in more than two decades.
The conference, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year, will run from March 8th-11th across the Art Gallery of New South Wales, State Library of NSW and Botanic Gardens of Sydney.
Screen NSW has signed on as principal partner for the event, which brings together documentary and factual filmmakers with broadcasters, streamers, distributors, festivals, funding bodies and other industry representatives from Australia and overseas.
AIDC CEO and creative director Natasha Gadd said the move begins a new chapter for the organisation. “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,” she said.
“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.”
The 2027 program will once again span industry sessions focused on craft, business and innovation, alongside screenings, networking events and AIDC’s documentary marketplace.
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The event will also include pitching forums, curated meetings and roundtables connecting Australian practitioners with commissioners, buyers and funding partners, as well as professional development initiatives for emerging, diverse and First Nations creatives.
Screen NSW executive director Kylie Munnich said bringing the conference to Sydney for its milestone anniversary would strengthen connections across the documentary sector.
“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,” Munnich said.
“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.”
Northern Pictures head of factual Karina Holden, who has attended AIDC for more than 20 years, added: “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.”
Journalist and documentary maker Marc Fennell also welcomed the move, particularly against what he described as a challenging market for factual projects. “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,” he said.
“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.”
Established in 1987, AIDC has most recently been staged in Melbourne and has developed into one of the region’s key industry gatherings for non-fiction screen content.
Early bird registration for AIDC 2027 is now open here. The first speakers and industry representatives are expected to be announced in October, with the full program due in January.