Busan's Asian Project Market unveils 30 picks for 2026
Busan's Asian Project Market has selected 30 feature projects for its 2026 edition after a record 604 submissions from 48 countries. The third straight submissions high underscores APM's rising pull for Asian filmmakers seeking partners ahead of Busan's October industry market.
According to Variety, busan8217s asian project market selections represent 20 countries and span courtroom drama, coming-of-age stories, family drama, crime thriller, queer romantic comedy, black comedy and mystery thriller.
Submissions from Asia hit 423, up 82 year-on-year, while Korean entries climbed to 137, up 58. Earlier totals were 455 submissions in 2025, 441 in 2024 and 399 in 2023.
Key Takeaways
- APM picked 30 features after a record 604 entries from 48 countries.
- The slate covers 20 countries and mixes debuts with festival-proven directors.
- Seven Korean projects join titles from Japan, South Asia, Greater China and Southeast Asia.
- BIFF runs Oct. 6–15, with the 21st ACFM on Oct. 10–13.
- Selected projects will be nominated for sponsor-backed awards.
Why does Busan's Asian Project Market matter this year?
APM set a new all-time submissions record for the third consecutive year. That jump of 149 entries year-on-year signals broader industry interest in Asian co-productions and development deals.
The selected works address social realities, personal identity, family relationships and ethical tensions within communities. The program balances first features from emerging filmmakers with new projects from directors already known on the festival circuit.
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Which regions and filmmakers made the 2026 slate?
Three Japanese projects were selected: Mori Tatsuya's "13," Hirose Nanako's "Wings of Return (working title)" and Igarashi Kohei's "Yours." Mori won BIFF's New Currents prize in 2023 for "September 1923."
Central and South Asian picks include Kyrgyzstan's Dastan Zhapar Ryskeldi with "Bosogo," Sri Lanka's Prasanna Vithanage with "Islands," India's Dominic Sangma with "Veil of Dust" and Tribeny Rai's "A Chronicle of Minor Things" (working title).
China, Hong Kong and Taiwan contributed four titles, including Kangdrun's "Orlo in the House," Wang Zhiyi's feature debut "Unripe," Hong Kong's So Chak Long with "Whisper of the Silence" and Taiwan's Yen Hao-hsuan making his first feature, "Uncle." Southeast and West Asian entries include Aditya Ahmad's "Goldfish," Reza Rahadian Matulessy's "Casparina" and Malaysia's Tan Seng Kiat with "One Fine Day."
Seven Korean projects round out the list, among them Lee Sangcheol's "PARK Deul-bi," Choi Hyunyoung's "All's Well That Ends Well" and Lee Hanju's "The Family Table," spanning thriller, comedy and drama.
When does the Busan market open to industry buyers?
ACFM, the official market of the Busan International Film Festival, is held in Busan every October. The 31st BIFF runs Oct. 6-15, with the 21st ACFM scheduled for Oct. 10-13.
Last year's 20th ACFM drew 3,024 industry professionals from 55 countries and 1,222 registered companies, with on-site attendance of 30,006. The Sales Market logged 8,438 business meetings and an estimated $71.1 million in transactions.
APM selections will compete for awards backed by sponsors as filmmakers shop the projects to co-producers, sales agents and platforms.