David Chase, Sharon Horgan and other TV and film executives set to speak at Karlovy Vary Industry Days

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has announced a slate of speakers for its Industry Days program, a component of the festival focused on production, financing, and creative collaboration across film and television. Among the named participants are David Chase, the showrunner and creator of HBO’s The Sopranos and a seven-time Emmy winner, along with Sharon Horgan, who is credited as a writer, actress, and producer on Bad Sisters.

Deadline reports that the Industry Days lineup also includes Andrij Parekh, described as a director and cinematographer associated with HBO’s Succession. The festival program will additionally feature Debbie McWilliams, identified as a casting director, and producers connected to Riff Raff Entertainment, according to the announcement cited by Deadline.

While the festival program spans multiple industry roles, the specific list reflects a mix of high-profile television creators and practitioners who operate behind the camera, including casting and cinematography. Chase’s participation ties the Industry Days program to long-running prestige television, while Horgan and Parekh represent current streaming-era production leadership on serial dramas and comedy-drama, the announcement indicates.

Deadline’s report frames the event as part of the upcoming edition of Karlovy Vary’s Industry Days, within the broader Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Industry Days is positioned as a gathering for professionals, with speakers drawn from multiple stages of development and production, from writing and showrunning to casting and cinematography.

The announcement does not describe any specific session topics in the excerpted reporting, but it places the named creators and production figures in the public program for the industry track. For participants and attendees, that typically matters because it shapes panel composition and the types of questions that may be addressed during moderated discussions.

Because the report centers on the lineup rather than on schedules or session details, attendees and media organizations are likely to rely on the festival’s official Industry Days materials for the final itinerary and any additional speakers. The festival’s published program will be the key reference point for dates, formats, and how the public can access coverage of the industry sessions.

With major creators scheduled to appear, the Industry Days agenda is expected to draw attention from entertainment industry stakeholders, including those working in development, production, casting, and visual storytelling. The inclusion of both television showrunners and craft-focused professionals underscores the festival’s focus on the full production pipeline, not only on on-screen talent.