A scene from A Separation, an Iranian film that won the best foreign language Oscar in 2012. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Films such as A Separation that won the best foreign language Oscar in 2012 and Children of Heaven, the first Iranian movie nominated for an Oscar in 1998, have ensured that Iranian filmmakers have received critical acclaim at top film festivals around the world.

Iran's local market and its influence in the region has lured Shen to try and tap this somewhat virgin field for Chinese filmmakers.

Shen, who got an idea for a movie during his Middle East tour, is now seeking to take advantage of this opportunity.

In recent years, Iran has been seeking more international cooperations in the movie industry to boost its cultural presence in the global market.

Last July, Hojatollah Ayoubi, head of Iran's Cinematic Organization, the country's main movie regulator, made his first trip to China.

Ayoubi says the two countries, both with long histories and resourceful filmmakers, can cooperate to give Chinese and Iranian audiences more knowledge about each other, and take advantage of the two movie markets, the Chinese newspaper Guangming Daily reported.

"There are reportedly tens of thousands of Iranian youth now practicing Chinese martial arts, which means a movie about the subject is quite likely to win their hearts," says Shen.

Jointly financed by the Chinese studio ShineWork Media and Iran's Farabi Cinema Foundation, work on Way to Shaolin was initiated during the 2015 Fajr International Film Festival.