Organizers even tried to show the Chinese blockbuster The Wandering Earth but failed to do so because of a copyright issue.

"Chinese movies are very interesting for us. And China has different genres, like they can play with some big dramas, thriller dramas," Lenaerts said.

Alexis Kahil, a journalist who writes critiques of movies for YouTube channels, regarded the Chinese film Chasing the Dragon as one of his favorites this year.

"There is humor and deep emotion in this film," he said. "The movie was about two hours and I didn't want to miss any action or plot twist."

Welcomed by the foreign audiences, Chinese films have also won awards throughout BIFFF history. In 2017, at the 35th BIFFF, The Mermaid won the second-largest award, the Silver Raven. Rigor Mortis and Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame also wona Silver Raven in 2014 and 2011.

BIFFF is ranked as one of the world's three major fantasy film festivals with the Spanish Sitges Film Festival and the Fantasporto, Portuguese International Film Festival being the other two.

Dai Yujun and Ning Yuqi contributed to this story