Elton John & Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundations

This is the power of advocacy storytelling: not just to inform, but to shift perspective, inspire empathy, and help create lasting change. MinxFilms has produced more than 17 mission-driven and brand films in collaboration with Equality California—forming a body of work dedicated to advancing equity, shifting public perception, and driving measurable impact.

Among these collaborations, we were commissioned to create a film supporting California Senate Bill 239 (SB 239), a pivotal effort to modernize HIV criminalization laws in California. The project was developed with the support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, both leaders in the fight to end HIV stigma.

Rather than approach the film as a policy explainer, we chose to tell a human story—one that could be felt as much as understood. The film's visual language is built around a central metaphor: a male acrobat suspended in air. His performance is carefully choreographed, unfolding with a subtle emotional arc rather than a literal narrative.

Following a screening with members of the California Senate, SB 239 passed the legislature and was signed into law by Jerry Brown in October 2017. The law marked a critical step toward aligning HIV policy with modern science and reducing systemic stigma. The impact extended beyond California—SB 239 has since contributed to a ripple effect, influencing similar legislative efforts across the United States.