George Lucas’s short film THX 1138 4EB, formally titled Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, won first prize in the Dramatic film category at the 1967 National Student Film Festival. Lucas made the 15-minute black-and-white science-fiction film while studying at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Its story follows THX, a fugitive trying to escape an impersonal electronic surveillance system.
The film became an important early blueprint for Lucas’s career. He later expanded its dystopian ideas into THX 1138, his first feature film, released in 1971. The student short also helped introduce Lucas to the wider film world: Steven Spielberg saw it at a USC screening after its festival success and was impressed by its visual control and experimental style.
The title is sometimes shortened to THX 1138 4EB, which is why that form is a fair answer, although the complete title begins with Electronic Labyrinth. It should not be confused with the 1971 feature THX 1138, which is a longer reworking rather than the prize-winning student short itself.