The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) Industry Days program has unveiled 11 films and eight books for its upcoming showcase [1, 2].
This expansion signals a strategic effort to establish a robust intellectual property market within Central and Eastern Europe. By bridging the gap between literature and cinema, the festival aims to attract high-profile projects and increase the visibility of regional creators on a global scale [2, 3].
Scheduled for July 5 to July 8, 2026 [2], the Industry Days event coincides with the 60th edition of the festival in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic [2, 4]. The announcement highlights the "Central Stage" projects, which feature a selection of films from established directors. Among these is a project related to the Rolling Stones [1, 3].
The festival is also launching its first-ever Book-to-Screen showcase. This inaugural program has selected eight books for potential cinematic adaptation [1, 2]. The initiative is designed to foster a specialized environment where filmmakers and literary agents can collaborate on new adaptations, a move intended to diversify the types of content emerging from the region [2, 3].
By focusing on established filmmakers and literary IP, KVIFF is positioning itself as a critical hub for the development of European cinema. The integration of a dedicated book-to-screen pipeline allows the festival to move beyond traditional film screenings and into the early stages of content creation [2, 3].
“KVIFF Industry Days has unveiled 11 films and eight books for its upcoming showcase.”
The introduction of the Book-to-Screen showcase marks a shift for KVIFF from a traditional film festival to a comprehensive IP incubator. By formalizing the pipeline between literature and film, the festival is attempting to institutionalize the discovery of Central-Eastern European stories, potentially reducing the region's reliance on Western European or North American studios for high-budget adaptations.
