Click here to watch the full interview on Justin’s “why.”

Justin Baldoni might be best known for his work on the CW’s hit, “Jane the Virgin” and Wayfarer Entertainment’s “Five Feet Apart,” but his most recent work, “CLOUDS” tells the story about an osteosarcoma warrior determined to live despite a terminal diagnosis. 

Just seven years ago, Justin worked on SoulPancake’s popular docu-series, “My Last Days.” SoulPancake entertainment explores life’s big questions, celebrates humanity and champions creativity. Justin’s mission to help people become comfortable in the uncomfortable by telling stories like Claire’s in Five Feet Apart, or Zach’s in CLOUDS.  In a note from the director in the rerelease of Laura Sobiech’s, “Fly a Little Higher” renamed “CLOUDS: a Memoir,” Justin talks about his “why.” 

“When I met Zach, I was a single, struggling music video director, documentarian and failed actor. My house was in foreclosure, I had no money, and I was traveling the country telling the stories of amazing young people who were living with a terminal illness. I wanted to wake people up and help everyone come to terms with their mortality – to stop procrastinating and really live. But, really, in hindsight, I wanted to wake myself up. And Zach helped me do just that.” 

ACCO spoke with Justin ahead of the CLOUDS release about why he became a filmmaker and the imprint that Zach and his family have had on his life. Click the graphic above to watch the full interview. 

Follow our CLOUDS coverage by clicking here.