Chinese actress Jiang Wenli on Sunday invited her celebrity friends for a special screening of her directorial debut film, "Lan".

Present were filmmakers such as John Woo, Jiang Wen, Yin Li and Stanley Tong, as well as actor Pu Cunxin and rock star Cui Jian.

Director John Woo gave the film high marks, saying, "It's a moving story, a treasure in this commercialized market."

"Lan" opened in Chinese cinemas on April 2. A semi-autobiography of Jiang Wenli, the film tells a heart-warming story between a young girl and her grandfather.

The film won an Audience Award at last year's Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea.

Jiang is the wife of cinematographer-turned-director Gu Changwei, whose film "Peacock" won a Silver Bear for Jury Grand Prix at the 2005 Berlin International Film Festival.

However, Jiang says her husband refused her invitation to be "Lan's" cinematographer. "He wanted the film to be mine, not his," Jiang says.

"My husband took care of our son so I could concentrate on making 'Lan'. He helped me with my film by not intervening," she says.