The following has been graciously provided by the author William Meehan and Project Publicity.
Anthony Bawn’s “Almost Us” turns a one-night stand into a battle over love, legacy, and belonging.
For more than a decade, Anthony Bawn has carved out space in an industry that often asks queer creators of color to shrink, soften, or simplify their stories. With his new romance comedy, Almost Us, premiering April 17th exclusively on the free streaming platform Watch VIM, Bawn isn’t simply releasing another film — he’s asserting control over how queer stories are told and who gets to tell them.
Set against the sun-scorched backdrop of Phoenix, Almost Us opens with a fiery one-night stand between Darren, a closeted and politically connected real estate developer, and Jason, an openly queer and charismatic community organizer played by Bawn. What begins as heat and escape quickly escalates into a volatile collision when Darren’s luxury redevelopment project threatens the Baldwin Cultural Center, a cherished safe haven that Jason is determined to protect.
The Baldwin Cultural Center serves as the emotional heartbeat of the film. “It isn’t just a location. It’s a sanctuary, a memory bank, and a lifeline,” Bawn explains. “It’s home to many of the marginalized characters in the film, and it’s a place they intend to fight for.”
That fight is both political and deeply personal. At its core, Almost Us is about two men forced to confront what they truly want — and what they’re willing to risk. “Their connection forces them to face what they’ve both been avoiding,” Bawn says. “The difference between wanting someone and being willing to be seen with them.”
While the stakes are high, Bawn intentionally weaves humor throughout the story. “Humor is the decoration on top of the drama,” he says. Awkward encounters, sharp banter, and escalating misunderstandings provide levity amid the tension, allowing audiences to laugh even as the emotional temperature rises. The result is a film that balances romance, activism, and comedy without losing sight of its deeper message.
Pulling off that balance while both directing and starring in the film proved to be a formidable challenge. “This entire project was a labor of love,” Bawn admits. Production hurdles — from talent drama to logistical setbacks and rewrites — nearly pushed him to walk away.
What kept him grounded, he says, was his team. “My team was God-sent — true collaborators,” Bawn reflects. “My focus was mainly on the technical aspects of the film, so when I had the opportunity to act in front of the camera, it was a terrific release. It felt good to play and not focus on production.”
Yet perhaps Bawn’s boldest move isn’t confined to what appears on screen — it’s how and where the film is being released. Rather than pursue traditional distribution channels, he launched his own streaming platform, Watch VIM, a free service dedicated to amplifying diverse and independent voices.
“The industry puts so much red tape in front of queer content creators,” Bawn says. “So many of us are chasing studios for our big break when we should be banding together to establish our own studios — and our own big breaks.”
Building a platform from the ground up hasn’t been easy. Without the marketing muscle of major studios, Watch VIM has relied heavily on social media and grassroots support to grow its subscriber base. Still, Bawn’s vision goes far beyond visibility alone.
“Visibility without ownership is just exposure,” he explains. “What I’m aiming for is ownership plus narrative control plus sustainable monetization.”
In other words, Watch VIM isn’t about securing a seat at someone else’s table — it’s about building a new one.
With Almost Us, Bawn expands queer storytelling beyond familiar coming-out arcs into conversations about class, legacy, redevelopment, and proximity to power. The film’s title captures the ache at its center. “‘Almost Us’ is the painful space between possibility and commitment,” he says. “Darren and Jason aren’t simply arguing about whether they can sustain their relationship. They’re arguing about what it takes to survive in the world — and what it costs to finally choose yourself.”
Through both Almost Us and Watch VIM, Anthony Bawn is doing exactly that: choosing himself, claiming ownership of his narrative, and opening the door for others to do the same.
Almost Us premieres April 17th, exclusively on WatchVIM.