Dallas Vietnamese American female filmmaker advocates for Asian creatives

Nowadays Nguyen is rarely seen with a camera in her hands. As a producer, Nguyen is often glued to screens for hours. Photo courtesy Bri Nguyen. 

DALLAS – Breanna “Bri” Nguyen is usually behind a camera ensuring everything runs smoothly on set. Occasionally, she can be seen dashing around in a dress with her camera capturing special moments. When Nguyen isn't filming, she’s often surrounded by camera equipment, diligently editing behind computer screens in “media dungeons”- the designated workspace for media staff.

“It’s a personal satisfaction,” Nguyen explains her work. “It brings me a lot of joy to know that I’m one of the reasons why a story was developed, went through preproduction, went through all these phases and hurdles and finally came out looking beautiful.”

However, today she attends only a budget meeting and relaxes at a café after work. When Nguyen arrives at the café, a tired smile is painted on her face.

Nguyen, a Vietnamese American filmmaker, advocates for herself and other Asians in the creative industry. She speaks out about how people of color are often overlooked and harassed because of the nature of the industry.

“Historically, being behind the camera is for mỹ trắng men,” Nguyen mentions. (Mỹ trắng translates to white or Caucasian).

On set, Nguyen has been treated differently because of her identity. She expresses that it takes away the value of her work. However, she is not complacent about harassment and shares a piece of advice.

“A lot of people in the industry will tell you to never burn your bridges,” Nguyen says. “But if it’s to protect yourself, it’s totally OK to burn your bridges.”

Nguyen is currently an associate producer at CinemaStory in Richardson, Texas, a film production company. The company has worked with a variety of clients to create commercials, music videos, corporate media, event videos, nonprofit content and more. At CinemaStory, Nguyen is a human checklist. She focuses on logistics to carry a client’s vision from start to end. She has worked on projects for Twisted X, Cook Children's Medical Center and Barry Corbin. However, despite her success, there is still some disapproval of her career from the older generation in her family.

“They see my value based on income rather than the work I produce,” Nguyen says in an exasperated tone.

She carries the conversation to discuss the common disapproval from Asian parents with kids pursuing creative careers. According to USAFACTS, the majority of Asian Americans in the workforce have jobs in computer and math careers. The stereotype is a broken record for many young Asian Americans.

But Nguyen is here to stay. She says she is “not turning back” from her career in the film production.

A way she advocated for Asian-American creatives was by becoming a role model in the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations in the South. UVSA South is a nonprofit, community-based organization dedicated to cultivating the next generation of leaders.

At UVSA South’s 2024 Leadership Summit, Nguyen was the director of marketing and media.

“It’s more than just making money,” Nguyen says about her work in the nonprofit space.

Her process of creating and delivering content has set a professional standard for other Asian media creators.

“I definitely think Bri is making a positive impact in the South space, not only within [her] leadership but also in their creative output,” says Grace Ebbinghouse, a photographer who worked with Nguyen. “As a director, she helped to create more sustainable media positions and opportunities for upcoming generations.”

Project by project, she has turned a niche hobby into a fully booked and busy career.

 After graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington, Nguyen has committed to herself to help making consistent, quality content that inspires her community.  In 2023, she earned an opportunity to work on "Iron Lung," a sci-fi horror film produced and directed by Mark Fischbach, a YouTuber and actor better known as Markiplier.

“They gave me a look into what a healthy set looks like and who fosters that,” Nguyen says with admiration.

Nguyen wants to move out of corporate film and on to documentary-style films. Ultimately, her passion is to run logistics behind video campaigns that help make environmental and outdoor recreation more accessible.

“In my opinion, recreation should be a right, not a privilege,” Nguyen says. “My goal at the end of the day is to tell stories of underrepresented communities.”

Nguyen knows there is an uphill climb ahead of her. Advocating for supportive and inclusive workspaces involves tackling challenges.

“There are times you get burnt out, but you find little nuggets of really inspiring projects that push you to want to do more and want to do better,” Nguyen conveys.

Nguyen knows that she is a very “small person” in a big industry, but she hopes that her work shows other Asians that they have a place in front and behind the camera.

“Even if we are from marginalized communities, we still have the talent, skill sets, and work ethic to succeed,” she says.