Starting March 19, 2026, publishing houses and literary agencies from Central and Eastern Europe that own film rights may submit titles with strong cinematic potential to the Book-to-Screen at KVIFF project. In exceptional cases, entities based outside this region may be considered if they submit a book by an author from one of these countries.
From the submitted entries, an international jury composed of representatives from the organizing organizations will select 5–10 works. These will be presented on July 7, 2026, during Industry Days at this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to domestic and international producers. In addition to book presentations, the program will also feature a panel discussion focused on film adaptations and a networking event for all participants.
The deadline for book submissions is April 30, 2026; the application form and all terms and conditions can be found here.
When creating Book-to-Screen at KVIFF, the organizing organizations were inspired by a similar project, Books at Berlinale, which has been successfully organized since 2006 by the Berlinale Co-Production Market and the Frankfurt Book Fair.
“The PPF Foundation was established in 2019 to help Czech talent find and open up paths to the world. Three years ago, we were there at the inception of the CEE Book Market program section at the Book World Prague literary festival, which today plays an irreplaceable role in the international trade of works by Czech authors. At the same time, we supported the Czech Republic’s participation in the Frankfurt Book Fair, which we view as a unique opportunity to present Czech literature and culture in general to a German-speaking audience. And because we believe it makes sense to create and support synergies between projects in which the PPF Foundation is involved, while also drawing inspiration from best practices abroad (in this case, the collaboration between the Berlinale film festival and the Frankfurt Book Fair), we have also supported a new initiative by the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival dedicated to film and television adaptations of literary works. I am delighted that in this collaboration, we all see the potential for new opportunities and benefits for Czech and Central European culture,” says Jana Tomas Sedláčková, a member of the PPF Foundation’s Board of Directors, describing the origins of the Book-to-Screen at KVIFF program.
“Literature is one of the most important sources of inspiration for cinema, television, and streaming platforms. With the Book-to-Screen project at KVIFF, we are creating another meeting place for publishers, agencies, and filmmakers where they can discover new stories for film and TV series adaptations. At the same time, we want to raise the profile of literary voices from Central and Eastern Europe and give them a platform in the international film context. Together with our partners, we look forward to further deepening the dialogue between the book and film industries in Karlovy Vary,” says Juergen Boos, Director of the Frankfurt Book Fair.
“We are pleased to be a part of the launch of this project, which, thanks to all the organizations involved and the support of the PPF Foundation, has the potential to become the most significant event of its kind in our region. This has succeeded in connecting the book and film industries, thereby opening up new avenues not only for Czech authors to reach international audiences but also beyond the literary sphere,” emphasizes Tomáš Kubíček, Director General of the Moravian Library in Brno, which is organizing the Czech Republic’s Guest of Honour appearance at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair.
“Thanks to the new Book-to-Screen at KVIFF project, film producers will have another opportunity to discover new stories, acquire rights to carefully selected titles, and establish relationships with publishers and literary agencies from across the Central and Eastern European region. Such a collaboration makes sense to us and perfectly complements the mission of our Film Industry section,” says Kryštof Mucha, Executive Director of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Book-to-Screen at KVIFF – Basic Information:
- Submitted books may be in any language and of any genre. Applications must be submitted in English.
- The open call is open to all publishers and literary agencies from Central and Eastern Europe that own the film rights. In exceptional cases, publishers and agencies based outside Central and Eastern Europe may also be considered if they submit a book written by an author from this region.
- Eligible countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine.
- Deadline for book submissions: April 30, 2026.
- Submission form
Photo: Film Servis Karlovy Vary Film Festival