Screening at This Modern World block October 4th, 2025, at 7:00 PM https://hqsff.com/
By Valerie Milano
Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 9/19/25 – At this year’s Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival (HQSFF), Good Service emerged as one of the most thought-provoking selections. Directed by Junda Wu, the film is a sci-fi meditation on technology, cultural displacement, and, above all, the search for authentic human connection.
Originally from China, Wu moved to Los Angeles in 2023 to study narrative directing at UCLA after years of working in music videos, commercials, and fashion films. In our interview, he shared that Good Service was inspired by his personal journey of navigating language barriers, culture shock, and the sometimes-awkward process of learning to communicate across diverse cultural backgrounds.
“I was facing the challenge of integrating into a different cultural background,” Wu explained. “Sometimes I feel the culture differences. Sometimes I need someone to tell me this is right to say or this is wrong. That’s where the idea came from.”
The film imagines an apartment equipped with an AI system, literally providing “good service”, that offers life guidance, romantic advice, and endless suggestions. But for Wu, the technology is less important than what it reveals: the fragility of human connection in a world tempted by artificial shortcuts.
When asked which themes mattered most, identity, class, queerness, or human connection, Wu answered without hesitation: “I would say human connection is the most important.”
The film pushes viewers to ask: Can an AI ever truly help us navigate matters of the heart? Wu’s answer is clear. “The big takeaway is that human connection is organic; it’s not supposed to rely on suggestions. The real connection comes from your heart, and that will be authentic.”
Wu starred opposite Scott Alin, an actor discovered through Backstage casting. Though Allen is not queer himself, Wu emphasized that the dynamic worked, noting his co-director’s vision of their chemistry together on screen. He praised Allen’s professionalism and ease on set, adding that the collaboration was key to making the story believable.
As with many short films, condensing the story posed its own difficulties. “When I was in the writing phase, I wanted to make it longer because there was a lot to talk about,” Wu told me. “Developing the scenes was basically trying to rub up my experience very fast, how I feel and why I relied on this AI system. That was challenging, but I picked a feel of the moment that I thought would help people understand the story better.”
Wu isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Two more of his shorts are currently in post-production, including a thriller that has already earned festival recognition. Even more exciting, he is developing a feature-length vampire story with queer elements that will explore gender equity and identity with the same daring perspective that Good Service embodies.
For now, Good Service stands as a vivid reminder that while technology can offer convenience, it cannot replace the honesty of human connection. At HQSFF, Wu’s voice resonated powerfully with an audience eager for stories that are both deeply personal and universally relatable.
You can follow his work on Instagram at @villyvon @villyvonfilms, where he shares updates about his growing filmography.
