When filmmaker Cao Jinling was a child, her family raised a deer in Moerdaoga in Northeast China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Although the town covering 12 square kilometers has a population of around 25,000, its residents come from different ethnic groups such as Ewenki, Mongolian, Korean and Tibetan.

"We were familiar with most of the neighbors and my family was influenced by their lifestyles. For example, the Ewenki people herded reindeer and Korean people really liked kimchi," recalls Cao, who is of Mongolian-Manchu origin, during an interview with China Daily.

During the recent Beijing International Film Festival, Cao, 39, and four other young Chinese producers were selected by Wu Tianming Film Fund for Young Talents to participate in a week-long event called the Cannes Film Festival Industry Workshops, which will be held in the French city from May 9 to 14.

The fund, which was founded by the China Film Foundation in 2014, marks the late cinematic master Wu's contribution to Chinese cinema and aims to support young filmmakers.

Cao stands out among 15 shortlisted contenders for her movie Moerdaoga, somewhat a love letter to her hometown.

Aside from the deer, which her parents adopted from one of their neighbors, she grew up hearing stories about people and nature. Besides, the scenery of Moerdaoga, which is also known for being surrounded by China's largest national forest park, is part of Cao's memories.