Her directorial debut Anayi, a 2006 movie about a Miao woman adept at embroidery, skillfully blends local customs with romance.

One of the movie's most acclaimed scenes features up to 1,000 Miao women dressed in local costume to celebrate their traditional Miao Sisters' Meal Festival, a local matchmaking event.

Close to the Sun - her second movie released in 2012 - praises the simplicity and kindness of the Miao people from the perspective of a French painter who suffers a serious illness but is rescued by the locals.

But the market for arthouse romances remains tough.

In the year leading up to its nationwide release, The Grand Song had more than 300 free screenings around Guizhou and was watched by more than 42,000 rural residents.

"We were short of financing for marketing and distribution back then. I didn't expect the movie to go on general release. It's great to see it arrive in theaters - I just hope it won't be labeled as an ethnic-themed feature," says Ou.