A poster of the sci-fi action film Tenet, which was awarded the Most Popular US Film in China at the 16th Chinese-American Film Festival on Saturday.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"I watched this event begin in Los Angeles County and expand across the pacific over the years," said Kathryn Barger, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, adding that the event has provided unique opportunities to share artists' dreams and creativity.

"By engaging with new cultural experiences and people, participants gain a greater understanding of the arts and one another," Barger said.

"It's immensely regrettable that we are not able to be together in person for this year's ceremony," said Niels Swinkels, executive vice-president of International Distribution of Universal Pictures, noting that 2020 continues to be an incredibly challenging and disruptive year for filmmakers.

"But we are hugely encouraged by the recent signs of enthusiastic moviegoers around the world returning to their local cinemas to experience the magic of movies again," he added.

"It's an honor to be invited to participate in the Chinese-American Film and TV Festival. This event has been building bridges for Eastern and Western cultural exchanges and creating lasting friendships and relationships for many years," said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group President of International Helen Lee-Kim.

"I want to say thank you to everybody at the Chinese American Film Festival for this tremendous award," said Nolan in his remote acceptance speech after Tenet was announced as a winner.

"It's a great honor for us to receive this, and this is an opportunity for me to say thank you to not just the Chinese-American Film Festival, but also, to all of the fans and movie fans in China who came out to see this film," he said.

Nolan, one of the most popular and successful Hollywood directors, gained fame in China for his blockbusters, including The Dark Knight, Interstellar, Inception, and Dunkirk. Tenet has earned more in the Chinese market than in North America.