‘Literary film adaptations are and always have been a trend.’

In an interview: Barbara Voit

For 18 years, the Bavarian regional association of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association has been organising the Book meets Film event as part of the Munich Film Festival. Once a year, the event gives publishers the opportunity to present potential film material from their catalogue to the German film industry. In 2024, 170 producers, directors and screenwriters once again accepted the invitation to the festival centre in the Amerikahaus and used this platform to talk to publishers about content, licences and options.
Barbara Voit, responsible for press and public relations at the regional association, has been organising this event since the beginning and tells us in an interview how ‘Book meets Film’ has changed over the years, which titles have entered the race this year and which books she would personally like to see made into films.

When did ‘Book meets Film’ start?
‘Book meets Film’ took place for the 18th time this year. So we've come of age now. In the early days, the pitches took place like a Speakers’ Corner – basically just with a box to climb on in what was then the Filmfest Lounge. We later moved to a larger room within the Gasteig cultural centre, but then came COVID and the renovation of the Gasteig, so we had to take place online only twice. For three years now, we have been in the Amerikahaus, the new festival centre, and this year for the first time in the Theatersaal, our largest event space to date.

What else has changed over the years?
We have become more professional overall. Not only are the premises now perfect, but the title presentations, the so-called pitches, have also become much better.
The sale of film rights is becoming more and more relevant for many publishers as additional business, and our event is growing in size accordingly. And the film-makers are also all happy to come again and again.

Are literary film adaptations in vogue?
I would say that literary film adaptations are and always have been a trend. However, the sale of film rights has become more focused on the part of publishers and networking between the film and book industries has improved – also thanks to formats such as ‘Book meets Film’.
However, the exchange naturally takes place throughout the year. Publishers have staff who are mainly responsible for selecting and promoting books that are suitable for film adaptations. But production companies now also employ people whose sole job is to track down books for literary film adaptations.

What are the challenges in the film rights trade?
Publishers keep telling me how incredibly difficult the film rights business can be. So of course it's great, but the projects always have very long terms for which you have to be patient. Sometimes it works like this: books are optioned, then partners are sought, the options are extended and work begins on the screenplay, then the option is extended again because you're looking for financiers and partner production companies and in the end nothing comes of it.
Do you have any examples of literary film adaptations that came about through ‘Book meets Film’?
"Beck's Last Summer" by Benedict Wells was optioned after ‘Book meets Film’ in 2008 and was then released in cinemas in 2015. It was a great film that I really enjoyed. And in 2015, Loewe pitched the children's book Tafiti and the children's animated film is due to be released in cinemas this year. These are just two examples.
Personally, I would love to see Martin Schäuble's novel "Sein Reich" made into a film. The rights were optioned in 2020 and I've heard that the script is being worked on. I very much hope that the film will be made.

Which of the twelve titles presented this year particularly impressed you? 
I was really impressed by all of them. There were a lot of strong titles again and the feedback on the selection was consistently positive. We always try to put together a balanced mix of children's and young adult books, literary titles and non-fiction. The different genres are also represented. Dramas, comedies, crime novels and thrillers, of course, but also historical material from time to time.
"The Shadows of Prague" from Kanon Verlag immediately conjured up images of a kind of ‘Babylon Prague’ for me.
The book "Content" by Elias Hirschl was also very well received by the audience. There was huge interest at the reception afterwards. Probably because it is such a modern, young and topical subject.
"Im Warten sind wir wundervoll" by Charlotte Inden touched me personally. The title alone is so beautiful. The book tells the stories of women who travelled after their American lovers after the Second World War. There was an exemption for these women to be allowed to enter America. I can very well imagine the story as a film.

What is the decision-making process for selecting the titles?
We always receive around 100 submissions from publishers. One condition is that the titles must have been published in the autumn of the previous year at the earliest, but preferably from the current autumn catalogue. The publishers must write a justification as to why they consider their title to be suitable for film. This must be convincing. The jury, made up of colleagues from the film industry, evaluates all submissions and selects a total of 12 titles.  The jury also takes feasibility into account. In other words, whether the original is suitable as a film or series, which target group is being addressed, how expensive a film adaptation would be, etc.
What appeals to you in books as a possible film template?
For me, it's really just a gut feeling. I like it when the language impresses me and the book draws multi-layered characters.

What can we expect for the upcoming 2025 edition?
I think it's great that we now have this beautiful hall and that ‘Book meets Film’ has taken on such a wonderful dimension over the years. The atmosphere at ‘Book meets Film’ also inspires me every time. I still find the combination of the pitches and a reception afterwards very successful. It makes the personal encounters so pleasant. Although the industries tick so differently, the format enables a perfect exchange. We want to build on all of this.

The interview was conducted by Tina Pfeifer, PR Manager at Frankfurter Buchmesse.