Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 21: Alia Bhatt’s upcoming production, ‘Difficult Daughters,’ has been officially selected as one of 30 projects for the Asian Project Market (APM) at this year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), as reported by Deadline.
The film is directed by Soni Razdan and produced by Alia Bhatt, her sister Shaheen Bhatt, and independent film producer Alan McAlex, known for his work on ‘Santosh.’ Its inclusion in the APM provides a significant platform for ‘Difficult Daughters’ to connect with international investors and co-producers.
The Asian Project Market (APM) is a prestigious co-production platform in Asia that connects emerging filmmakers with leading international film industry professionals. It’s an integral part of the Busan International Film Festival and aims to link diverse film projects, from large-scale commercial ventures to low-budget indies, with global investors, producers, and distributors.
‘Difficult Daughters’ joins a distinguished lineup of projects from across Asia. Other notable Indian entries include ‘The Last of Them Plagues,’ directed by Kunjila Mascillamani and produced by actress Kani Kusruti (who served on BIFF’s New Currents jury last year) and ‘All We Imagine As Light’ director Payal Kapadia. Indian director Pradip Kurbah, a recipient of BIFF’s Jiseok Award in 2019, is also presenting his project, ‘Moon.’ Bangladeshi filmmaker Biplob Sarkar returns to BIFF with ‘The Magical Men,’ an LGBTQ+-themed story, and Malaysian director Lau Kok Rui, from BIFF’s 2022 Asian Film Academy, is presenting ‘Wake Me Up When the Mourning Ends.’
The Asian Project Market (APM) will run from September 20-23, 2025, during the 20th edition of the Asian Contents & Film Market at BEXCO. The 30th Busan International Film Festival itself is scheduled from September 17 to 26, 2025.
Alia Bhatt was most recently seen in ‘Jigra,’ a film she both starred in and produced, which depicted a sister’s mission to free her brother from prison. Her upcoming projects include ‘Alpha,’ part of Yash Raj Films’ spy universe, slated for a December 25 release. She is also working on ‘Love and War,’ alongside her husband Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal, under the direction of Sanjay Leela Bhansali.