“Thru The Wire” Makes North American Premiere at Historic Egyptian Theatre
June Films is proud to announce that Thru The Wire, directed by An Nguyen, made its North American Premiere at the prestigious 3rd Annual Rich & Successful Film Festival (RSFF3). The film, a heartfelt and evocative exploration of identity and connection, screened at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, a fitting venue for its festival debut.
A 16-minute short, Thru The Wire tells the story of a chronically online and socially inept teenager who takes a leap of faith to meet her online best friend in person for the first time. The film captures the complexities of navigating digital friendships in a world where our online and offline identities often collide.
Director An Nguyen drew from her personal experiences growing up in Vietnam to craft Thru The Wire, reflecting on the profound influence of online spaces on her sense of self:
“I was born and raised in Vietnam with parents that were hard-ass teachers. In school, the labels of smart and quiet became synonymous with my name. On top of this, I was considered severely overweight. This is basically social suicide for any girl and woman in East Asian society. At a young age, I learned to shrink myself in public. I couldn’t be too loud, act too strange. When I was 9 years old, my older cousin introduced me to an online multi-player game called Audition. Inside the game, I was not the fat, quiet kid but the funny girl with the cutthroat remarks. For the first time, I felt like my friends in the game knew ‘the real me.’ Even though more than 15 years have passed since the last time I picked up the game, I still see glimpses of myself in that young girl. As I embark into adulthood, the deep desire to belong and to transcend my physical limitations never left. This feeling is what inspired me to make Thru The Wire. Throughout the process of making this film, I am so incredibly grateful for the internet, for online gaming, for movies to allow me to be a part of something bigger than myself. I’m making this film for my 9-year-old self—I know she’s floating somewhere in the deep ether that is the internet.”
Nguyen’s reflections bring an intimate authenticity to Thru The Wire, a film that explores the tension between the personas we project online and the identities we carry in the real world. By channeling her own childhood experiences, Nguyen has crafted a deeply personal story that resonates universally, particularly with those who have found solace and connection in digital spaces.
Thru The Wire was showcased alongside other standout works at RSFF3, including Baggage by Tim Hendrix, Order for Pickup by Jackie! Zhou, and Tennis, Oranges by Sean Pecknold. The film contributed to a dynamic lineup celebrating innovative and diverse voices in independent cinema. RSFF has quickly become a vital platform for emerging Los Angeles based filmmakers to showcase their work and engage with community.
In addition to the successful premiere, it was announced at the festival that filmmakers An Nguyen and Max Retik were recipients of the Sogbots Post-Production Grant to support the completion of their next short film, We Used to Take the Long Way Home.
You can watch the film now on Vimeo at vimeo.com/madebyjune