'Closet' Wins Silver Crow Award at Brussels Fantastic Film Festival

"Tense Direction and Excellent Acting by the Actors"

Director Kim Kwang-bin's film "Closet" won the Silver Raven, the second highest honor at the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival.

According to the Korean Cultural Center in Belgium on the 19th (Korean time), "Closet" was selected as a Silver Raven award winner in the international competition category alongside Ivan Cebana's "Son." Jury members Mike Mendez, Alexandre O. Philippe, and others praised the film for "appropriately blending horror and fantasy with social messages such as child abuse." They added, "The consistently tense direction and the performances of the cast, including the child actors, are excellent." The Golden Raven, the top prize, was awarded to Cody Calahan's "Vicious Fun."

"Closet" depicts the story of a father struggling to find his daughter who mysteriously disappears in their new home, and a stranger. Using the familiar motif of a closet, it evokes horror while highlighting the importance of family relationships. The film stars Ha Jung-woo, Kim Nam-gil, Heo Yul, and Kim Si-a.

This marks the eighth time a Korean film has won at the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival. Previous honored films include Kim Ki-duk's "The Isle," Jang Joon-hwan's "Save the Green Planet!," Bong Joon-ho's "The Host," and Kim Jee-woon's "I Saw the Devil" (all Golden Raven winners), as well as "Horror Stories 2" directed by Kim Sung-ho, Kim Hwi, Jung Bum-sik, and Min Kyu-dong, Yeon Sang-ho's "Seoul Station," and Kim Bong-joo's "The Phone" (all Silver Raven winners). Director Park Chan-wook also received the Chevalier de l'Ordre du Corbeau, a special honorary Raven Knight award, in 2017.

The Brussels Fantastic Film Festival is considered one of the world's top three fantastic film festivals alongside the Catalonia International Fantastic Film Festival and Fantasporto International Fantastic Film Festival. It screens and awards films in genres such as horror, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy. Since 2014, the Korean Cultural Center in Belgium has supported and promoted Korean film screenings to encourage expansion in the local market.