The 2023 Asian Project Market (APM), which will be held for 4 days from Oct 7 (Sat) to Oct 10 (Tues) at Exhibition Center 1 of the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), has announced this year’s 30 selections.

Asian Project Market, the biggest film investment and co-production market in Asia, has selected 30 projects for this year’s edition. With a total of 399 submissions from 50 countries, this year marked the second highest competition rate to date. This year saw a large number of submissions from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, while the number of Japanese and Taiwanese projects saw a significant increase from previous years. In particular, the increase in number of co-productions between countries in Asia and the Americas and Europe is raising expectations for Asian contents and creators.

The large number of selections by BIFF alumni Asian directors is garnering much attention. APM 2023 official selections include Mr. Van (Vietnam / Germany) by director Kim Quy Bui, who was invited to the New Currents section at the 2021 Busan International Film Festival, and Southern Summer (China / Malaysia) by director Lan Tian, recipient of the Sonje Award at the 2022 Busan International Film Festival. In addition, Song Fang, alumnus of the first edition of the Asian Film Academy (AFA) who has become a prominent figure on the international stage, and Makbul Mubarak, AFA 2018 alumnus, have also returned to BIFF as directors. Furthermore, projects by directors Fukada Koji, Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji, and Kawawada Emma, who met with the audience at the 2022 Busan International Film Festival with past APM projects, Rima Das, who received high acclaim from critics and the media with last year’s BIFF official selection, Tora’s Husband (2022), and directors Hsu Chao-Jen and Hirose Nanako have been selected.

The selection of various northeast Asian projects is also grabbing attention with collaborative projects between experienced and newly emerging directors, as well as selections with promising and creative stories.

In addition, 7 Korean projects were selected for the 2023 Asian Project Market, including projects by directors Yoon Danbi, who received international recognition with her feature debut and quadruple crown winner at the 2019 Busan International Film Festival, Moving On (2019), An Old Lady (2019)’s Lim Sun-ae, A Leave (2020)’s Lee Ranhee, and Kim Mi-young, who received the DGK MEGABOX Award at the 2021 Busan International Film Festival. With director Lee Dongwoo’s Snake & Scorpion, a feature adaptation of last year’s Wide Angle selection of the same title, director Shin Sun of No Surprise (2021), and director Kang Yi Kwan, who will be revisiting BIFF with Morning Star, APM is expected to give insight to the future of Korean cinema.

APM 2023, which has revealed the official selections for 2023, will be held for 4 days from Oct 7 (Sat) to Oct 10 (Tues) during the 18th Asian Contents & Film Market, while the 28th Busan International Film Festival will be held for 10 days from Oct 4 (Wed) to Oct 13 (Fri) at the Busan Cinema Center.

■ The 28th Busan International Film Festival : Oct 4 (Wed) – Oct 13 (Fri)
■ The 18th Asian Contents & Film Market : Oct 7 (Sat) – Oct 10 (Tues)

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