Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC)

What Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) does

AIDC (Australian International Documentary Conference), legally AIDC Limited (ACN 098 558 313), is a Melbourne-based not-for-profit organization founded in 1987 that operates the premier documentary and factual event in the Southern Hemisphere. It runs an annual four-day conference at ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) in Federation Square, Melbourne — AIDC 2026 ran 2–5 March with an online marketplace on 11–12 March — supplemented by a portfolio of regional one-day events under the Regionality brand (Sunshine Coast, Northern Rivers, Cairns).

The organization's product stack centers on a curated marketplace for documentary and factual projects. Core components include the FACTory International Pitching Forum (Central, New Talent, and Rough Cut Showcases), Cut to the Chase (curated 1:1 pitch meetings between producers and decision makers), The Showroom (slate-pitching for Australian production companies), and Doc Chat (1:1 meetings at regional events). Supporting programs include the Indigenous Creators Program (since 2019, 570+ practitioners), Indigenous Documentary Placement (four-month paid placement with ABC Indigenous, since 2021), Leading Lights (professional development for diverse practitioners), and the AIDC Awards and Southern Light Award. AIDC 2026 hosted 755 delegates from 22 countries across 55 sessions, with 175 projects pitched and 522 structured meetings held.

Revenue is generated through conference registration passes (tiered: regular, member, concession; in-person and online), recurring annual memberships, regional event ticket sales, and institutional sponsorship/partnerships. The partnership stack spans Principal Partner Film Victoria, Presenting Partners ACMI and Screen Australia, Major Partners ABC and SBS, and a deeper tier of state screen agencies, Indigenous organizations, and post-production sponsors. Customer segments span independent documentary filmmakers, broadcasters/commissioners, screen agencies, distributors/sales agents, First Nations practitioners, and emerging diverse practitioners. The organization has facilitated over $3.5 million in project and professional development funding for delegates from 2019 to 2025, establishing it as a principal clearinghouse for the Australian documentary sector.

Name

Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC)

Legal name

AIDC Limited

Website

https://aidc.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AIDC is a Melbourne-based not-for-profit (founded 1987) that operates the premier documentary and factual conference in the Southern Hemisphere, serving filmmakers, broadcasters, screen agencies, and First Nations practitioners through annual conferences, regional events, marketplaces, awards, and industry development programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Industry Conferences & Events

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

Keywords

• Documentary conference
• Factual film marketplace
• Screen industry events
• Nonfiction pitching forum
• Documentary awards program

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration Passes: AIDC generates revenue through sale of conference passes for its annual four-day documentary conference. Pricing varies by ticket type (regular, member, concession) for both in-person and online attendance.
2. Memberships: Annual membership program offering discounted conference passes and access to member-exclusive content and networking opportunities.
3. Regional Events: Revenue from regional one-day events like Regionality Sunshine Coast, with tiered ticketing for regular attendees, members, and concession holders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AIDC operates the premier annual documentary and factual conference in the Southern Hemisphere, hosted at ACMI in Melbourne, along with regional events (Regionality), pitching marketplaces (FACTory, Cut to the Chase, The Showroom), industry development programs for diverse and First Nations practitioners, an annual awards program, and an organizational membership scheme for documentary and factual practitioners.

Product overview

AIDC (Australian International Documentary Conference) is a not-for-profit organization presenting the premier documentary and factual event in the Southern Hemisphere. The company offers the annual AIDC Conference as its core product, complemented by the FACTory International Pitching Forum, Cut to the Chase curated meetings marketplace, and The Showroom slate-pitching initiative. Supporting programs include the Indigenous Creators Program, Indigenous Documentary Placement (co-presented with ABC), Leading Lights professional development, and Doc Chat 1:1 Meetings. AIDC also operates regional events including Regionality Sunshine Coast, alongside awards programs including AIDC Awards and Southern Light Award. The organization was established in 1987 and is committed to supporting and elevating nonfiction storytelling and storytellers to create a vibrant, diverse and sustainable industry ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The FACTory: International pitching forum for new documentary and factual projects, featuring Central Showcase, New Talent Showcase, and Rough Cut Showcase categories.
• Cut to the Chase
• The Showroom
• Regionality
• Indigenous Creators Program
• Indigenous Documentary Placement
• Leading Lights
• AIDC Awards
• Southern Light Award
• Doc Chat

Products and services

• AIDC Annual Conference Annual four-day documentary and factual conference featuring a curated program on craft, business and innovation, marketplace activities, networking, awards, and industry development, held at ACMI in Melbourne.
• Regionality Sunshine Coast One-day regional screen industry event for documentary and factual practitioners in South East Queensland, featuring marketplace activities, networking, Doc Chat 1:1 meetings, and high-profile guest speakers.
• AIDC Membership Annual membership program providing documentary and factual practitioners with discounted conference passes, member-exclusive content, and networking opportunities.
• FACTory International Pitching Forum International pitching forum for new documentary and factual projects with Central Showcase, New Talent Showcase, and Rough Cut Showcase categories.
• Cut to the Chase Curated pitch meetings marketplace matching documentary producers with commissioning decision makers for optimum 1:1 meeting outcomes.
• The Showroom Slate-pitching marketplace for Australian production companies specializing in documentary and factual content.
• Indigenous Creators Program Program by and for First Nations practitioners in documentary and factual, providing workshops, yarning circles, pitches, and networking specifically designed for Indigenous storytellers.
• Indigenous Documentary Placement Four-month paid professional placement with ABC, co-presented by AIDC and ABC Indigenous, providing Indigenous practitioners with hands-on experience in documentary and factual development and production.
• Leading Lights Program Professional development program supporting emerging and diverse nonfiction practitioners (LGBTQIA+, d/Deaf, disabled, neurodiverse, regional, remote, CALD) to attend AIDC.
• Doc Chat 1:1 Meetings Curated 1:1 speed meetings connecting practitioners with decision makers and industry experts to pitch projects, seek advice, and make connections at regional events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 755 delegates from 22 countries participated in AIDC 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• ABC IndigenouscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026Co-presenter of the Indigenous Documentary Placement program with AIDC. ABC Indigenous team hosts placement recipients for four-month placements to develop skills in documentary and factual production.
• Screen QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Co-presenter of Regionality Sunshine Coast 2026 and partner on regional industry development initiatives. Provides funding and commissioning support for Queensland practitioners.
• ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresenting Partner and host venue for the annual AIDC conference. ACMI provides the physical venue and collaborates on programming, including the Documented screening program featuring curated documentary screenings.
• Screen AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresenting Partner providing funding and investment support. Screen Australia's Investment & Development Manager for Documentary participates in AIDC programming as a decision maker.
• ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Partner and co-presenter of the Indigenous Documentary Placement initiative. ABC commissioning editors participate as decision makers and speakers at AIDC events.
• SBScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Partner with senior commissioning editors participating as decision makers and speakers. SBS programs highlighted at AIDC awards and pitching sessions.
• Sunshine Coast Screen CollectivesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustry association partner for Regionality Sunshine Coast events, helping promote events to local screen practitioners and providing industry expertise.
• AFTRS (Australian Film Television and Radio School)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents professional development sessions for Leading Lights recipients and sponsors the Best Short-Form Documentary award ($2,000).
• NITV (National Indigenous Television)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNITV commissioning editors participate as decision makers at AIDC, with special programming for First Nations content including the First Nations Spotlight session.
• Wildbear EntertainmentsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company whose executives participate as decision makers and speakers at AIDC events.
• DocPlaysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDocumentary SVOD platform operated by Madman Entertainment. Documentary executives participate as decision makers at AIDC and the platform sponsors the DocPlay Indie Booster.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DOC NYC: Largest US documentary festival with industry program and Story-to-Stage pitch. Comparable industry-development and pitching program scope to AIDC.
• Hot Docs: Canadian documentary festival with industry programs, Deal Maker pitching, and festival marketplace. Closely comparable to AIDC in its mix of curated festival programming and delegate marketplace services.
• IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam): World-leading documentary festival with industry forum, pitching forums (IDA Forum), and DocLab for interactive/immersive work. Most direct global peer to AIDC's conference + FACTory + interactive award structure.
• Sunny Side of the Doc: France-based international documentary marketplace focused on pitching and co-production financing. Comparable to AIDC's FACTory and Cut to the Chase marketplace functions.
• Sheffield DocFest: UK-based annual documentary and factual festival with marketplace, pitching forums, and industry programs. AIDC awards Sheffield DocFest Networking Prize to its FACTory delegates, evidencing direct marketplace and curatorial overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Screen Producers Australia (SPA): Australian screen industry peak body running industry events, awards, and advocacy. Comparable membership/industry-development function to AIDC but serves the broader production sector (fiction + documentary).
• SXSW Sydney: Australian expansion of the SXSW festival/industry event covering film, music, and gaming. Comparable in scale and industry-programming model but broader than AIDC's documentary focus; AIDC's Alice McShane previously programmed here.
• Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF): Australia's largest general film festival, also based at ACMI/Melbourne. Overlaps with AIDC on documentary programming and industry events but operates broader (fiction + documentary) and at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Australian Directors Guild (ADG): Australian industry association for directors running awards (ADG Awards) and professional development. Operates in the same Australian screen ecosystem as AIDC with overlapping membership and partner base.

Emerging players

• Realness African Screen Heritage Residency: Pan-African documentary residency and marketplace program. Comparable in delivering structured pitching/development for documentary creators from underrepresented regions, similar in mission to AIDC's Indigenous Creators Program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theAIDC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aidc-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/aidcmelb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC)