Alia Bhatt and Payal Kapadia backed Difficult Daughters among official selections at 2025 Asian project market in Busan

Alia Bhatt and Payal Kapadia backed Difficult Daughters among official selections at 2025 Asian project market in Busan

The 2025 edition of the Asian Project Market (APM), held as part of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), has announced its official selection of 30 thought-provoking and diverse film projects spanning 15 countries. This year’s edition set a new record, receiving 455 submissions from 44 countries — underscoring the growing significance of the APM as Asia’s premier co-production and financing platform.

Among the standout selections is Difficult Daughters, a project produced by Bollywood star Alia Bhatt and directed by her mother, Soni Razdan. This marks a notable step for Bhatt as a producer, as the project delves into poignant socio-political themes rooted in personal and historical narratives. Another major Indian highlight is The Last of Them Plagues, directed by Kunjila Mascillamani and backed by Cannes winner Payal Kapadia, along with Jeo Baby and actress-producer Kani Kusruti. Their collaboration reflects the increasing global resonance of Indian independent cinema.

This year’s APM lineup reflects a broad spectrum of urgent global themes including social inequality, gender identity, LGBTQ+ rights, migration, war, and family dynamics. These are explored through an array of genres from drama and fantasy to psychological horror. One such project, The Magical Men by Indian director Biplob Sarkar, is a pan-Asian exploration of queer identities — emphasizing the APM’s commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices.

The selection also includes Wake Me Up When the Mourning Ends by Malaysian filmmaker Lau Kok Rui, an alumnus of the 2022 BIFF Asian Film Academy. With acclaimed producers like Soi Cheang and Stefano Centini on board, the film is already attracting significant industry interest.

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Chinese-language cinema has a strong presence this year, with five projects in the lineup — three of them from Taiwan focusing on powerful narratives centered around female protagonists. Japan is also notably represented through three projects by celebrated filmmakers Shiraishi Kazuya, Fujita Naoya, and Zhang Yaoyuan. Their stories explore the lives of foreign workers, female reclusiveness, and the pressures facing modern Japanese youth.

The APM will be held from September 20 to 23 at BEXCO, Busan, as part of the 20th Asian Contents & Film Market. The winners of various sponsored awards will be revealed during the APM Awards Ceremony on September 23, alongside the 30th Busan International Film Festival, running from September 17 to 26.