Alia Bhatt, Payal Kapadia Films in Busan’s Asian Project Market Lineup

The 2025 Asian Project Market (APM) has announced its official lineup of 30 film projects, featuring notable producers including Bollywood star Alia Bhatt and “All We Imagine as Light” filmmaker Payal Kapadia among its diverse slate.

Set to run from Sept. 20-23 during the 20th edition of the Asian Contents & Film Market at BEXCO, this year’s APM received a record-breaking 455 submissions from 44 countries. The platform continues its role as Asia’s largest co-production and financing hub, connecting emerging talent with global investors and distributors.

Bhatt serves as producer on “Difficult Daughters,” directed by actor-director Soni Razdan – who starred in 2028 Busan selection “Yours Truly” – alongside fellow producers Shaheen Bhatt, Alan McAlex, and Grishma Shah. Meanwhile, Kapadia is attached as producer to “The Last of Them Plagues,” directed by emerging Indian filmmaker Kunjila Mascillamani and also produced by Jeo Baby and actress Kani Kusruti, who served as a 2024 BIFF New Currents juror.

The 2025 selections span 15 countries and tackle themes including social inequality, family dynamics, LGBTQ+ issues, gender, war, and borders across diverse genres. Several projects come from filmmakers with strong Busan International Film Festival ties.

Indian director Pradip Kurbah, recipient of the 2019 Jiseok Award and recent best film and best director honors at the 2025 Moscow International Film Festival, presents “Moon.” Director Biplob Sarkar, previously invited to BIFF 2023’s New Currents section, returns with “The Magical Men,” exploring LGBTQ+ rights through a collaboration between Asian producers who met in Busan.

The Chanel X BIFF Asian Film Academy (BAFA) alumni are well-represented, with director Lau Kok Rui from the 2022 program presenting “Wake Me up When the Mourning Ends,” while 2024 BAFA alumni director Li Yingtong and producer Annie Song collaborated on “New Life,” supported by this year’s ACF Script Development Fund.

Female directors are making a particularly strong showing, with West Asia contributing four projects that highlight internationally acclaimed women filmmakers. Armenian director Christine Haroutounian, whose feature debut “After Dreaming” was invited to the Berlin International Film Festival, showcases “Black Star Angel,” which has secured ACF Script Development Fund support.

South Asia brings six projects, including three directed by women and two from Bangladesh, underscoring the growing influence of South Asian female directors and the resurgence of Bangladeshi cinema. Among them, “Silence of the Looms,” directed by Mirza Shabnam Ferdousi, explores Bangladesh’s historical legacy through a contemporary lens.

Chinese-language cinema features five projects, with three Taiwan productions standing out for their female protagonist portrayals. Japan contributes three projects illuminating marginalized youth lives, with projects from directors Shiraishi Kazuya, Fujita Naoya, and Zhang Yaoyuan.

Korea leads with seven projects from emerging and mid-career directors, including “Gilddong” by Park Riwoong, who won the New Currents Award at 2024 BIFF for “The Land of Morning Calm.” Other Korean selections include works by Jo Heeyoung, Choi Hana, Kim Hyoeun, Yoon Eunkyoung, Byun Sungbin, and Jero Yun, spanning genres from human drama to occult horror.

Selected projects will compete in various sponsor categories, with winners announced at the APM Awards Ceremony on Sept. 23. The market runs concurrent with the 30th Busan International Film Festival, scheduled for Sept. 17-26.

2025 Asian Project Market Official Selections:
“Arrival of Water” (Korea/Japan) – Dir. Jo Heeyoung, Prod. Park Sejin

“Black Star Angel” (Armenia/United States) – Dir. Christine Haroutounian, Prod. Maxwell Schwartz, Christine Haroutounian*

“BODOI” (Japan) – Dir. Shiraishi Kazuya, Prod. Kii Muneyuki

“Buy My Car” (Japan/China) – Dir. Zhang Yaoyuan, Prod. Ichiyama Shozo, Kunizane Mizue, Mo Zhulin

“Churching of Women” (Jordan) – Dir. Darin Sallam, Prod. Deema Azar, Ayah Jardaneh

“Dance Dance Revolution” (Korea) – Dir. Choi Hana, Prod. An Boyoung

“The Daughter” (Hong Kong, China) – Dir. Guan Tian, Prod. Vivian Bao, Ding Ningyuan

“The Descent” (Korea) – Dir. Kim Hyoeun, Prod. Park Hyunsuk

“Difficult Daughters” (India) – Dir. Soni Razdan, Prod. Alia Bhatt, Shaheen Bhatt, Alan McAlex, Grishma Shah

“Disorder” (Iraq/Germany) – Dir. Shawkat Amin Korki, Prod. Mehmet Aktas, Shohreh Golparian, Shawkat Amin Korki

“Flying Cows” (Vietnam) – Dir. Nguyen Pham Thanh Dat, Prod. Nguyen Huu Thi Tuong Vi

“The Funeral March” (Japan/China) – Dir. Fujita Naoya, Prod. Fujita Kanako, Shiina Yasushi, Zou Aiken, Zou Lin

“Gilddong” (Korea/China) – Dir. Park Riwoong, Prod. Yoon Minyoung

“Gochi” (Korea) – Dir. Yoon Eunkyoung, Prod. Stanley Kwak

“Heaven Help Us!” (Philippines) – Dir. Eve Baswel, Prod. John Torres, Jules Katanyag*

“Lanka (The Fire)” (India) – Dir. Saurav Rai, Prod. Sudeepta Sadhukhan, Viraj Selot, Ankita Purkayastha

“The Last of Them Plagues” (India) – Dir. Kunjila Mascillamani, Prod. Payal Kapadia, Jeo Baby, Kani Kusruti

“Lost and Cow” (Thailand) – Dir. Thapanee Loosuwan, Prod. Chonlasit Upanigkit, Somprasong Srikrajang

“The Magical Men” (Bangladesh/Singapore/France/India) – Dir. Biplob Sarkar, Prod. Biplob Sarkar, Fran Borgia, Francois d’Artemare, Sankhajit Biswas

“Moon” (India) – Dir. Pradip Kurbah, Prod. Pradip Kurbah

“New Life” (China) – Dir. Li Yingtong, Prod. Annie Song*

“No Country for Old Men” (Taiwan) – Dir. An Bon, Prod. Chen Pao-ying

“Paradis Karaoke” (Korea) – Dir. Byun Sungbin, Prod. Bong Suji

“Sama” (Canada/Afghanistan) – Dir. Brishkay Ahmed, Prod. Brishkay Ahmed, Bonnie Do

“Silence of the Looms” (Bangladesh) – Dir. Mirza Shabnam Ferdousi, Prod. Rajib Mohajan

“Silent Cry” (Korea) – Dir. Jero Yun, Prod. Jero Yun

“The Skull Oracle” (Taiwan) – Dir. Laha Mebow, Prod. Eric Liang, Zara Lin, Chen Yi Chen

“Snake in the Dreamscapes” (Taiwan) – Dir. Lou Yi-an, Prod. Chen Wen Wen, Kao Chun Ting, Hsu Guo-lun

“Stuck Like Babies” (Kyrgyzstan) – Dir. Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi, Prod. Veronica Rhyme, Aktan Ryskeldiev, Fernanda Renno

“Wake Me up When the Mourning Ends” (Malaysia/Hong Kong/China/Italy/Taiwan) – Dir. Lau Kok Rui, Prod. Soi Cheang, Stefano Centini, Wong Kew Soon

*Supported by ACF Script Development Fund