in ‘anxious.’… 

A woman named Ruby has an anxiety attack and trips down the rabbit-hole of her mind, where she meets versions of herself who take over her life!

Set in Little Saigon, Garden Grove, California in present day and inspired by films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Amelie, this surreal, darkly comedic indie feature film is Writer/Director Nida Chowdhry‘s third project and breakout film. 

– why this story –

“I’m drawn to telling stories about our inner lives – the ones behind closed doors, the one’s in our minds. That’s the experience we live closely with, the one that’s hard to share or explain. And that’s what I love about film and this film in particular. We can take a camera anywhere – even inside Ruby’s imagination.

The summer I finished filming Unfair & Ugly in 2017, I knew I wanted to explore this world next. When I wrote the first pages in May 2019, they took a hold of me and this entire world spilled out. I spent the next 2.5 years crafting this screenplay and developing the world of ‘anxious.'”

– Writer/Director Nida Chowdhry

– cast of characters –

An eclectic therapy group, quirky co-workers, evil relatives, and of course, a romantic interest. Meet the cast and characters of ‘anxious.’ 

Casting by Hina Chowdhry & Nida Chowdhry.

– team –

It’s the team that counts. Meet the dream team behind “anxious.”

Chaz Olivier, Director of Photography
This will be Chaz’s 6th feature film as a DP. 

Amira Mertaban, Assistant Producer & Wardrobe Supervisor
The human equivalent of an “Everybody stay calm!” Michael Scott meme.

Marissa Vonn, 1st AD
Color-coded folders loading.

Nancy Xu, Production Coordinator
 Nothing gets past Nancy.

Emma Croft, Hair & Makeup Artist
BAFTA-award winning and her brushes have graced the face of Judy Dench.

Hina Chowdhry, Casting Director 
She “discovered” Justin Bieber in his early YouTube days.

Yasmin Souza, Stylist. 
No one is ready, but also, we’ve been waiting our whole lives.

Eric Marks & The Transported Audio Team, Sound Engineers
They’re already cooking up the surreal audio world of “anxious.”

Sami Matar, Composer 
The brilliant mind of Sami Matar is weaving the emotionally complex score of this movie.

Yasmine Abdel-Aal, Production Legal
Literally don’t ever make a film without Yasmine on your side.

– what the funds are for –

Making a movie is a HUGE endeavor, and this FINAL piece of funding will cover:

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Goal: $50,000

Cast Member Fees to bring these characters to life!

Location Rentals to capture this surreal, adventurous world!

​Camera Equipment to be able to film this movie!

Food for our team filming for 25 days of 12-hour shoots!

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Stretch Goal: $65,000

Our stretch goal will help cover crucial Post-Production costs, including our incredible sound design, music, and composer!

– timeline – 

2022

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THIS COMING JANUARY – FEBRUARY!
FILMING!!!

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MARCH – AUGUST
POST-PRODUCTION

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SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER
SUBMIT TO FILM FESTIVALS

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2023

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‘anxious.’ SCREENINGS
AT FILM FESTIVALS!

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‘anxious.’ PREMIERE SCREENING!

– more about Nida – 

Hi! I’m Nida Chowdhry and ::inhale:: I’m a Pakistani Muslim-American TV creator, writer, actor, director & executive producer! ::exhale:: PHEW! 

I’m a TV writer for shows like Mira, Royal Detective and Young Justice, and for networks like HBOMax, Disney, Netflix, Apple TV+ and PBS. I’m currently a staff writer on the upcoming Netflix show CoComelon Lane. 

I’ve also the creator of two shows! Unfair & Ugly is a dramedy about a South Asian Muslim American family in ‘The OC’ trying to keep it together, and was featured on NBC, Aljazeera, Refinery29 and more. And I host a talk show called ‘#TodayIMet’ in its second season.

I’ve been in theater for the past decade, training with ImprovCity, the Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC and LA, and at The Acting Center of Los Angeles. 

I’m bringing all of this experience and more into making ‘anxious.’ the very best film I can possibly make it, with the very best breakout talent crew and cast in the business!

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