Mumbai/IBNS: Bollywood star Alia Bhatt and filmmaker Payal Kapadia-backed projects have been selected in the official lineup of films unveiled by the 2025 edition of Asian Project Market at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

Alia, her sister Shaheen and two others backed Difficult Daughter, which is directed by Soni Razdan, who also happens to be the mother of the B-Town actress.

Reacting to the selection, Alia wrote in an Instagram story, "Just the beginning of something special."

Photo: Screen-grab/Alia Bhatt Instagram

Payal, who created waves at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024 with All We Imagine As Light, backed The Last of Them Plagues.

Payal is joined by two others as producers.

This year, APM received a record-breaking 455 submissions from 44 countries, continuing its streak of surpassing previous records.

As the largest co-production and financing platform in Asia, APM plays a vital role in discovering fresh, emerging talent and connecting them with global investors, producers, and distributors, while fostering an ecosystem for pragmatic co-production and investment cooperation.

The 2025 official selections tackle a broad range of themes, including social inequality, family love, LGBTQ+ issues, gender, war, and borders, through diverse genres and deeply resonant narratives that highlight regional distinctiveness.

The 2025 APM is scheduled to be held from September 20 to 23.