A 516 Productions Greenlights 3rd Movie, ‘Non-Union,’ Production to Start Summer 2026

A 516 Productions — who produced the charming rom-com “Because of Mika” and are now in the festival circuit for their second film, “We Want the Virus” — have announced their next project, “Non Union.” Paul Santoli of A 516 stated the film will start production this summer and that he wants to continue the company’s current renaissance of old school comedy. “‘Non-Union’ will sit on the DVD shelf in between “21 & Over” and “The Girl Next Door,” he said. The cast of the film includes Paul Santoli, Carson Polish, Johnny Briseño, and Katie Kay.

Santoli states that “Non Union” is a romantic comedy and is based on the short film “I Can’t Cry,” previously produced by Paul Santoli, Josh Libertine, and A 516. The plot of the film is: Two desperate actors try everything they can to make themselves cry in order to secure a pivotal role on a tv series. Santoli shared that “I Can’t Cry” received 3 awards, 2 nominations, and 4 semi-finalist nods, including Kevin Smith’s Film Festival ‘Smodcastle’ in New Jersey. The feature film will instead follow the romantic turn that they didn’t take in the short film.

Multiple Successes at HRIFF

In March, Santoli’s “We Want the Virus” screened at The Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival (HRIFF) alongside “Most Likely,” a film from “Non Union” actor Johnny Briseño. A 516 colleague Josh Libertine is returning as a producer (he worked on “We Want the Virus”) with his company Libertine Studios. Eeshan Kamath is set to shoot the movie with the help of Blake Johnson. And as always, Brendan Day (“Because of Mika” and “We Want the Virus”) is set to edit the film.

Santoli shared he is eager to work with Briseño for the first time. “We Want the Virus” and “Most Likely” both did well at HRIFF. “We Want the Virus” won ‘Best Comedy’ and ‘The People’s Choice Award,’ while “Most Likely won ‘Best Picture’ and Briseño won ‘Best Actor’ for his performance.

Follow The Movie Buff for more information as it becomes available. Also, follow along for more information, review, and news for “We Want the Virus” in the near future.