Indie Film ‘We Want the Virus’ wins ‘Best Comedy’ in L.A., Heads to NYC

Following the 2024 indie film “Because of Mika,” Director/Writer Paul Santoli has moved on to bigger things. Santoli and co-Writer Daniel Gualajara have completed their follow-up comedy, “We Want the Virus.” Santoli explained it to me as a “A modern day ‘Dumb and Dumber’ meets ‘Weekend at Bernie’s.’” The film had its first premiere in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 7th at Regal L.A. Live. Santoli shared that the premiere played to a sold-out crowd of 110 people and earned lots of compliments at the showing—not to mention a win for ‘Best Comedy.’ 

Moving on from L.A., Santoli and “We Want the Virus” are heading to New York City to the 5th Annual New York CineFest from April 23-26, 2026. Santoli is excited for the east coast showing, repping his film in his humorous yet endearing way, commenting on the film’s comedy. “‘Because of Mika’ was good,” he said. “‘We Want the Virus’ is insane.” 

‘We Want the Virus’ Heads to NYC

The plot for “We Want the Virus” is Covid-19, the virus that had such an irreversible impact on the world. The logline reads: “After a blacked out night of drinking, two lifelong friends and struggling actors wake up and realize they raised $22,000 falsely claiming they had the Coronavirus. Now must go to extreme lengths in order to obtain the virus and collect their cash.”

It sounds like the setup for a raucous time. Yet viewers of “Because of Mika” will also know that Santoli has a penchant for heart and pulling on emotions in subtle and calming ways. It makes us very excited for the premiere. “We Want the Virus” joins a list of other feature films and shorts at New York CineFest that will doubtless please fans of indie cinema. 

For more information on “We Want the Virus,” you can follow them on Instagram @a516productions. You can also follow Paul Santoli @paulsantoli. Santoli will announce ticket sales for New York CineFest though A516’s link in bio. You can also follow A516 on their official site here. Per Santoli, tickets should be available by mid-March 2026. 

Stay tuned to The Movie Buff for more information and review when the film is released. Photos from the film’s L.A. premiere can be seen below.