The Busan Asian Project Market (APM) has unveiled its official selection for the 2025 edition, which will bring together 30 film projects from 15 countries. Among the prominent names are Bollywood star Alia Bhatt and filmmaker Payal Kapadia, known for All We Imagine as Light, who join the lineup as producers, underscoring the growth and diversity of Asian cinema.

The market will take place from September 20 to 23 as part of the 20th edition of the Asian Contents & Film Market, held within the prestigious Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), which will run from September 17 to 26. This year, the APM received a record-breaking 455 submissions from 44 countries, strengthening its position as Asia’s largest co-production and financing platform, connecting emerging talent with international investors and distributors.

Bhatt heads the production of Difficult Daughters, directed by actress and filmmaker Soni Razdan — who starred in Yours Truly, an official Busan selection in 2028 — alongside Shaheen Bhatt, Alan McAlex and Grishma Shah. Meanwhile, Kapadia is producing The Last of Them Plagues, the latest project by Indian director Kunjila Mascillamani, with producers Jeo Baby and actress Kani Kusruti, who served on the New Currents jury in 2024.

The selected projects tackle diverse topics such as social inequality, family dynamics, LGBTQ+ rights, gender issues, war, and borders, exploring these themes through multiple genres and narrative styles. Female filmmakers have a strong presence this year, with directors from West and South Asia contributing, including four projects from internationally acclaimed women directors.

Among them is Armenian director Christine Haroutounian, who was invited to the Berlinale with her debut feature After Dreaming and will present Black Star Angel with support from the ACF Script Development Fund. From Bangladesh, Silence of the Looms by Mirza Shabnam Ferdousi revisits the country’s historical legacy through a contemporary lens, adding to the growing wave of South Asian women filmmakers.

Chinese-language cinema and Taiwan will be represented by five projects, three of which are from Taiwan and focus on female protagonists, while Japan contributes three titles exploring the lives of marginalized youth. South Korea leads the selection with seven projects, including Gilddong by Park Riwoong — winner of the New Currents Award at BIFF 2024 for The Land of Morning Calm — and new works by Jo Heeyoung, Choi Hana, Kim Hyoeun, Yoon Eunkyoung, Byun Sungbin and Jero Yun, covering genres from human drama to supernatural horror.

The selected projects will compete in various sponsored categories, with the winners to be announced at the APM Awards Ceremony on September 23. 

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