The first batch of movies includes five stories about the lifestyles of the Mongolian, Dong and Manchu ethnic groups.

"Ethnic groups' stories are great for big-budget productions," said Niu Song, deputy director of the Beijing Commission of Ethnic Affairs.

One example is Wolf Totem, a 2004 Chinese novel about a young student's experiences in the countryside of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in the 1960s. A film adaptation by French director Jean-Jacques Annaud is currently in the works.

The film, with an initial investment of up to 700 million yuan ($114.5 million), is scheduled for release in 2017.

About the broadcaster:

Anne Ruisi is an editor at China Daily online with more than 30 years of experience as a newspaper editor and reporter. She has worked at newspapers in the U.S., including The Birmingham News in Alabama and City Newspaper of Rochester, N.Y.

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