JUS + LIKE ME was the winner of BEST FILM at the March 2020 LGBT Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film?

Samuel Douek: Tom Falck the producer approached me about making a film about Phil Dzwonkiewicz, the HIV activist who was competing in Mr Gay UK 2018 and was starting an HIV awareness campaign in a new era of complacency around AIDS given the rise in anti-retroviral treatment and it was an opportunity i couldn’t refuse combining my background in documentary filmmaking and my investment in the LGBTQ+ community.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this short?

I first met Phil and conducted several amazing interviews in late August. We then planned a 4 day shoot across three weekend in September / October where we would travel to his family home…