Today is World AIDS Day, a time of reflection and a call to unite around the fight to end HIV stigma around the world. A new short film, Others, not only centers on the horror of stigma but is making history as the first time a professional actor living with HIV was intentionally cast to play an HIV+ lead protagonist.

The film was launched by Casey House, a specialty hospital providing care to those living with and at risk of HIV. The intent was to help end the stigma around the virus by making a short film inspired by the lived experiences of HIV+ people. “Others will spark needed conversation on the impacts of stigma that people living with HIV face every day. Horror is a genre that allows for complex social issues to be presented in a compelling way,” Joanne Simons, Casey House CEO, said in a press release. “An evolution of the hospital’s ongoing #SmashStigma initiative, the Others campaign looks to harness the power of fear — which fuels stigma — to spark conversations around outdated misconceptions about HIV.”

Peter McPherson stars in the short as a man whose HIV status makes him especially vulnerable when he finds himself stranded in a desolate place. “When I first read the Others casting call for an HIV+ actor I thought this sounded like an interesting project I wanted to be a part of,” Peter McPherson said in a press release. “But when I read the script, I instantly felt an intimate connection to the character. I get what the character has gone through,” he continued. “I’ve experienced the fear that stigma creates.”

The film was directed by Paul Shkordoff and co-stars Adrian Pavone, John K Ng, and Lora Burke.