International poster for "Exhuma" (Showbox)

Eight Korean films of diverse genres are competing at the 42nd Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival which kicked off Tuesday.

Known as the world’s largest fantastic film festival dedicated to experimental genre films from thriller, sci-fi, cult and horror to animation and underground, the BIFFF invited Korean directors Jang Jae-hyun’s supernatural thriller “Exhuma” and director Han Dong-seok’s mystery fantasy “The Sin” to its international competition section.

In the thriller competition section, director Kim Jae-hoon’s action thriller “Devils” and director Park Hee-gon’s mystery thriller “Don’t Buy the Seller” have been nominated.

Rookie directors Kim Seong-sik’s mystery thriller “Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman” and director Jason Yoo’s mystery horror “Sleep” have been nominated in the rookie director competition section.

Director Song Jeong-woo’s “4 P.M.,” based on Belgian author Amelie Nothomb’s novel “The Stranger Next Door,” is competing in the experimental film section, while director Jeong Jae-hee’s short horror film “Home” is competing in the international short film competition.

The winners will be announced during the award ceremony on April 19th.

The BIFFF, which brings some 60,000 people together from around the globe, is among the world’s top three genre film festivals, alongside Spain’s Sitges Film Festival and Portugal’s Fantasporto.

A total of four Korean films including director Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host” have won awards at the festival. In 2017, director Park Chan-wook received an honorary achievement award at the BIFFF.

In addition to the films in the competition, “Alienoid: Return to the Future” by Choi Dong-hoon, “Concrete Utopia” by Um Tae-hwa, “The Moon” by Kim Yong-hwa and “Noryang: Deadly Sea” by Kim Han-min will get their Belgian premiere through noncompetitive screening events.