Karlovy Vary is widening its industry agenda for 2026, adding new initiatives that put book adaptations at the center of the conversation.

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival said its Industry Days program, set to run from July 5 to July 8, 2026, will expand with several additions, led by a new Book-To-Screen strand. The joint project will present producers with up to 10 book titles from Central and Eastern Europe that are considered strong candidates for film or series adaptation. The move sharpens the festival’s role not just as a showcase for finished work, but as a marketplace for stories still finding their screen form.

Karlovy Vary is betting that the next wave of screen projects may start on the page, and that producers want earlier access to stories with regional roots and international potential.

The Book-To-Screen program also reflects a broader shift across the film and television business. Producers increasingly look for preexisting material that can travel across markets, and literary works often offer both narrative depth and built-in identity. By focusing on Central and Eastern Europe, Karlovy Vary positions itself as a gateway for material that might otherwise struggle to reach decision-makers outside the region.

Key Facts

  • Karlovy Vary International Film Festival expands its Industry Days for 2026.
  • The program runs from July 5 to July 8, 2026.
  • A new Book-To-Screen initiative will highlight up to 10 books.
  • The selected titles will come from Central and Eastern Europe and target film or series adaptation.

Reports indicate the expansion includes multiple new initiatives, though the festival announcement spotlighted Book-To-Screen as a major addition. That emphasis matters. In a crowded festival landscape, industry programs now compete on access, curation, and timing. A well-placed adaptation platform can draw producers, publishers, and rights holders into the same room before projects become expensive or overdeveloped.

What happens next will show whether Karlovy Vary can turn that promise into a pipeline. If the program attracts serious buyers and development interest, it could strengthen the festival’s standing as a launch point for screen projects from Central and Eastern Europe. For the industry, the message looks clear: the hunt for adaptable stories continues, and festivals want to shape that search earlier than ever.