From Literary Rights to Global Screens: Book-to-Screen Day 2026 at Frankfurter Buchmesse
Book-to-Screen Day on 9 October 2026 with talks, matchmaking and networking around film and television adaptations | International perspectives on the European adaptation market
Which literary works have the potential to become films or TV series? What trends are shaping the European adaptation market? And how can ideas be developed into successful cross-industry projects? On Friday, 9 October 2026, Frankfurter Buchmesse (7–11 October 2026) will once again focus on film and television adaptations with its Book-to-Screen Day. The programme brings together international publishing, film, television and streaming professionals for talks, matchmaking and networking.
“Book-to-Screen demonstrates how literary ideas can become cross-industry projects. This requires not only strong stories, but also early dialogue between authors, screenwriters, publishers, agents, producers and other creative professionals. With its Book-to-Screen activities, Frankfurter Buchmesse creates spaces for precisely these encounters – for stories from the German-speaking world as well as for international material and partnerships,” says Juergen Boos, Director of Frankfurter Buchmesse.
The Book-to-Screen programme will open on Thursday, 8 October 2026, with “The Art of Making Things Happen”, a conversation with film producer Carlo Cresto Dina of Tempesta, a production company active in the UK and Italy. The talk will explore how creative projects are initiated, developed and brought to the screen. It will take place from 5.00 to 6.00 pm on the Discovery Stage in Hall 5.0, C147, in cooperation with World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026.
European adaptation trends and international matchmaking
A central focus of Book-to-Screen Day will be the European adaptation market. In the Book-to-Screen Spotlight “Adaptation Trends in Europe”, Dr Agnes Schneeberger of the European Audiovisual Observatory, Creative Producer Eric Geay, SND – Groupe M6, and Alice Townson, Head of Film/TV Scouting at Zephyr Partnership, will discuss current developments, market trends and future perspectives in European film and television. The conversation will be moderated by Erin Cox of Publishing Perspectives and will take place on Friday, 9 October, from 10.00 to 11.00 am on the Discovery Stage. The event is organised in cooperation with the Berlinale Co-Production Market.
Book-to-Screen Day will also provide opportunities for selected producers and scouts from different countries to meet representatives of the international publishing industry. Participating companies include Bavaria Fiction, Constantin Film and Leonine Studios from Germany, Globo from Brazil and FilmBrigade from the Czech Republic. At the Book-to-Screen Matchmaking session around 50 selected publishers, literary agents, production companies and scouts will come together in curated formats. The event is hosted by Frankfurter Buchmesse and Berlinale Co-Production Market.
The programme will conclude with the Book-to-Screen Happy Hour from 6.00 to 7.00 pm on the Discovery Stage. The informal networking event will bring together international publishing, film, television and games professionals and provide an opportunity to continue conversations initiated throughout the day.
New Screen World connects publishing, film and streaming for young audiences
A major new feature of Frankfurter Buchmesse 2026 is Screen World in Hall 4.0. As a new pilot project, it creates a meeting point for children’s and young adult publishing, film, television and streaming. Screen World brings together professionals who develop, represent and adapt stories for young audiences.
The programme will focus on current children’s and young adult films, successful adaptations and the question of which stories resonate with children, teenagers and young adults today. Internationally acclaimed author Bart Moeyaert will be among the contributors to the programme, which explores the journey from literary work to screen adaptation and the opportunities for stories to reach audiences across national borders.
Screen World will also offer networking opportunities for professionals from publishing, production, screenwriting, broadcasting and streaming. The new meeting point reflects the growing demand for content for young audiences and the increasing importance of collaboration between the publishing and screen industries.
Book meets Games: From literature to interactive worlds
“Book meets Games” will bring together publishers, games studios, and funding organisations on the Community Stage in the Festhalle. The programme will focus on rights and financing, as well as on the question of how interactive worlds can be created from literary material.
The programme will be held in English. Speakers will include Ulrike Küchler (Gamebook Studio), Alisha Hasan (Helsinki Film Lab) and Dr Matteo Riatti (Games Division at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space). “Book meets Games” is jointly presented by NERDIC GmbH and Frankfurter Buchmesse.
The full programme of the Book-to-Screen Day 2026 is available in the Event Calendar of Frankfurter Buchmesse(opens in a new window).
Jenny Erpenbeck and Volker Schlöndorff in the Book-to-Screen programme
The wider Book-to-Screen programme will also include a German-language conversation about the screen adaptation of Jenny Erpenbeck’s novel Heimsuchung (Visitation). International Booker prize winner Jenny Erpenbeck will discuss the adaptation with Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Volker Schlöndorff and producer Regina Ziegler. The conversation will offer insights into the collaboration between author and filmmakers and into the creative decisions involved in translating a complex literary work for the screen. The event is organised by Frankfurter Buchmesse in cooperation with Hessen Film & Medien.
The film Heimsuchung – Eine Jahrhundertgeschichte will also receive the Frankfurter Buchmesse Award for Best Adaptation 2026. The award will be presented as part of the 37th Hessian Film and Cinema Award ceremony on Friday, 9 October 2026, at Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum (DFF) in Frankfurt.
Guided tours for film professionals
As part of its new hall concept, Frankfurter Buchmesse will once again offer guided tours for professional visitors from the film and television industries. The tours will provide an overview of the fairgrounds and lead participants to relevant meeting points for film professionals and rights business.
Tour 1: Thursday, 8 October 2026, 4.00–5.00 pm
Tour 2: Friday, 9 October 2026, 8.45–10.00 am
Registration is available via the Book-to-Screen page on the Frankfurter Buchmesse website(opens in a new window). Each tour is limited to 25 participants. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Books at Berlinale Pro
Beyond Book-to-Screen Day 2026, Frankfurter Buchmesse is continuing to expand its activities at the intersection of publishing and film. Together with the Berlinale Co-Production Market and the European Film Market, it will launch a new phase of Books at Berlinale Pro in 2027. The established format will be expanded to include three pitching sessions dedicated to fiction, family entertainment and non-fiction. Submissions from publishers and literary agencies are now open. The deadline for applications is 3 November 2026. Further information and submission details are available on the Books at Berlinale Pro website(opens in a new window).