Chinese blockbuster "Operation Red Sea" wins Golden Oak Award in NYC

A poster of Chinese action film "Operation Red Sea." [Photo: mtime.com]

The Chinese action film "Operation Red Sea" won the Golden Oak Award for best feature film at the annual Asian-American TV & Film Festival in New York City on Friday.

The film tells the story of a rescue mission by an eight-member task team from the Chinese Navy's elite special forces to help Chinese and foreign nationals out of a war. The team meanwhile foiled a terrorist plot to obtain nuclear materials to make dirty bombs.

Directed by Dante Lam, the film is loosely based on the evacuation of Chinese citizens and foreign nationals from Yemen's capital and the southern port Aden during Yemen's civil war in late March 2015.

The film immediately became a blockbuster when it came out in China.

The film was awarded the Golden Oak because it "observes international security from a multicultural perspective and shockingly depicts a group of truly courageous men determined to advance their faith and mission."

Tang Jing, one of the producers, said more and more Chinese filmmakers are trying to introduce Chinese films abroad and that the Chinese movie industry still has a long way to go.

"To let more audiences watch Chinese films means that more people can learn about Chinese culture," said Tang, who was granted a best producer award at the awards ceremony on Friday.

The Gold Oak Award is presented by the Asian-American TV & Film Alliance.