A still from A Children's Song, a short film produced by Jane Wu. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Having lived in Shanghai for a few years, producer and actress Jane Wu learned that more than 20,000 Jewish refugees had taken shelter in the city after fleeing Europe during World War II.

In 2015, Wu shared the story with Sid Ganis, a former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a veteran Hollywood producer.

"Ganis is Jewish. The story resonated with him, and he believed it could be adapted into a movie," she says in a recent interview to China Daily.

Spending nearly a year in research, Wu and Ganis have coproduced the short film, A Children's Song, retelling the story through the perspective of two modern-day students. The 22-minute movie, which swept up around 20 prizes in the United States, will soon run on some Chinese streaming sites.

With A Children's Song, Wu expects that her prospects will improve in Hollywood.

Born in Northeast China's Liaoning province in 1989, Wu moved to Shanghai as a teenager. She began her career as a model but soon discovered her talent in action movies.

In 2015, she spent a lot of time learning English, especially slang and film industry jargon, to integrate with the local environment of Hollywood.

She says Hollywood is changing with regard to its taste in Chinese performers.