The Roch Bozino Engagement Award Returns in 2025

Following the passing of Roch Bozino on March 30, 2023, Java Films and Sunny Side of the Doc sought to honor his legacy by creating the Roch Bozino Engagement Award in 2024. This award celebrates documentaries that carry meaning and humanity—projects that embody the values Roch held dear.

Now in its second edition, the award continues its mission to support powerful storytelling on the international documentary scene. The winning project will receive a €3,000 grant as well as personalized mentorship to support its development.

 

"Roch was a truly committed person who knew how to unite people around him and inspire them to take action."

“Naturally, when we first established this prize in Roch’s memory, our motivation was driven by strong emotions,” says Donatien Pierda, Distributor and Co-Director of Operations, Sales & Acquisitions at Java Films. “At the time, its purpose was still taking shape. Roch was a truly committed person who knew how to unite people around him and inspire them to take action. Watching the pitches last year and hearing the jury's thoughtful discussion made it clear to us that this prize was ultimately about one thing: hope.

With this prize, we want to honour a project that inspired us — one that seeks to bring about change and gives us optimism for the world of tomorrow. In the spirit of Roch, we want this project to be driven by a committed, inspiring, and determined team. We’re proud to be returning for 2025 and are looking forward to seeing what this year's pitches will bring.”

2024 Laureate

In 2024, Tales and Sentences, a project pitched in the Global Issues category, directed by Alexandre Donot-Saby and produced by Little Big Story (France), won the Roch Bozino Engagement. The film follows Nora Gruber, a director commissioned by lawyers or convicted individuals to tell their story to a single viewer: the judge. This unique narrative explores the boundary between justice, storytelling, and truth, in an America where words can sometimes carry as much weight as facts.

© Hugo Lafitte

“Receiving this award marked the first major milestone in the life of this film,” says Raphael Pelissou, producer & director at Little Big Story. “It was a moment of recognition that affirmed the project’s international potential and sparked the long development phase that has brought us to where we are today: the film goes into production this Autumn.

The Engagement Award is emblematic of the kind of films we strive to produce. Its significance is even more meaningful because of its association with the memory of Roch Bozino, whose deep commitment to openness and to the world we shared and continue to carry forward.”

He adds: “After a long development period during which we secured funding from the CNC, Procirep-Angoa, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and MEDIA Creative Europe, the project is now entering production. We’re partnering with France Télévisions for production and are currently finalizing a co-production in Canada with Portage Films. We’re also proud to have Cinephil on board as our international sales agent.”

 

2025 Edition: A New Jury and New Categories

For the 2025 edition, the award will go to a project selected from the Current Affairs & Investigation and New Voices categories. The jury will be composed of three committed and respected professionals from the industry: Fabrice Estève, producer at Yuzu Productions (France), Jean-Luc Sterckx, buyer at Viewcom (Belgium), and Donatien Pierza, distributor and Co-Director of Operations / Sales & Acquisitions at Java Films (France).

Through this award, Java Films and Sunny Side of the Doc continue to uphold Roch Bozino’s vision: a sincere commitment to human stories, a helping hand extended to emerging producers, and a celebration of talents who contribute to authentic and impactful documentary filmmaking.

The award will be presented on Wednesday, June 25, from 9:00 to 9:30 AM at the Awards Café, as part of the Sunny Side of the Doc awards ceremony.