Poster of the film The Girls Are From Tianshui.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Citing Hearing Implant and The Girls Are From Tianshui as examples, Zhang said such heartfelt stories have already proven small-budget films can win popularity among TV audiences.

Produced by Gansu Fengxing Entertainment, Hearing Implant is based on the real story of a young girl who loses her pricey hearing aid but recovers it with the help of some strangers.

With a theme of poverty alleviation, The Girls Are From Tianshui, starring property tycoon Pan Shiyi, follows several young women from Tianshui, Gansu province in their quest for a better life.