The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is expanding and expanding its industry programme, unveiling new initiatives on Wednesday, in time for the festival’s 60th edition. Among the innovations are the book-on-screen program and the move from a regional focus to a global focus in the renamed KVIFF Promises market.
The festival’s organizers said that its industry program this year will revolve around two axes, a cinematic focus and a screen focus, in “responding to the evolving needs of audiovisual professionals in Central Europe.”
Topics discussed in various industry sessions will include the likes of high-quality production values, the ethics of true crime stories, alternative film distribution, as well as “innovative approaches to storytelling” and financing projects through private equity.
KVIFF Industry Days 2026 will be held from Sunday, July 5 to Wednesday, July 8 at the Kaisbad venue in the Czech spa town. Here’s a closer look at new initiatives and special events at this year’s KVIFF.
First edition of Book to Screen
The new display, inspired by the books at the Berlinale, was developed in collaboration with Frankfurter Buchmessy in Germany, Svet Kniehe (World of the Book) and the Moravian Library in Brno and with support from the PPF Foundation. Producers will be offered up to 10 book titles suitable for adapting films or series coming from the Central and Eastern European region. “Its long-term goal is to create a market for the rights to film adaptations of literary works from the region, thus strengthening cooperation between the film and book industries,” KVIFF said.
“I am glad that in this cooperation we all see the potential for new opportunities and benefits for Czech and Central European culture,” said Jana Tomas Sedlaková, PPF Board Member about the launch of the “Book on Screen” program at KVIFF.
KVIFF promises to expand its international reach
KVIFF Promises, formerly known as KVIFF Eastern Promises, has long provided projects to producers, distributors, festivals and sales agents. Now, it is abandoning its regional focus to expand its reach. “With a renewed focus on Central Europe and openness to projects from around the world, KVIFF Promises strengthens its position as an important meeting point for co-production and international discovery,” organizers said.
Establishment of global media makers
In collaboration with the U.S. Embassies in Bratislava and Prague, and Film Independent, a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization that supports independent filmmakers, KVIFF Industry Days will host the U.S. Department of State’s Global Media Makers Residency, a program featuring 14-20 independent producers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. “Designed as an intensive hands-on residency, the program will explore new approaches to private financing and draw inspiration from the American film industry,” the festival said. “Through curated sessions, case studies and direct exchanges with international experts, participants will gain practical insight into financing structures, packaging strategies and international cooperation.”
International Association of Casting Directors of KVIFF
On Thursday, July 9, the International Casting Directors Association (ICDA) will present its annual Semiramis Award for Excellence in Casting at the festival. ICDA will also host a series of panels and master classes exploring the craft of casting and its influence on contemporary filmmaking, with “several dozen international casting directors” in attendance, KVIFF said.
“This year represents a defining moment in the history of our profession,” said Lana Venker, President of ICDA. “So far, in 2026, we have celebrated our first European Director Award, followed by our first Oscar for Best Cast. Recognition of a cast at this level confirms its place at the heart of the filmmaking process. Karlovy Vary, with its long-standing commitment to auteur cinema and new voices, is a natural place to explore the creative roles that casts play in shaping the films we see.”
