nida chowdhry

ANXIOUS.

an award-winning feature film by nida chowdhry

Ruby has an anxiety attack and trips down the rabbit hole of her mind, where she meets mean girl versions of herself who take over her life.

Inspired by the surrealism of Eternal Sunshine, quirky characters of Amelie, and whirlwind journey of Alice in Wonderland, Writer/Director Nida Chowdhry stars in this surreal dark comedy marking her debut feature film. This fast-paced fashion film is set against the colorful backdrops of Little Saigon and Little India in Orange County, California.

PRESS.

29 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS. 15 NOMINATIONS. 6 AWARDS.

INDUSTRY REVIEWS.

“Honest, pure, and vulnerable.” 
— Jaffar Mahmood, Director
Bridgerton, The Residence
“Nida Chowdhry is a triple-threat powerhouse – writing, directing and acting her way through ‘ANXIOUS.’, leading us on a journey at once surreal, and yet – for so many of us – all too familiar. This movie transported me, and I can’t stop thinking about it!”
— Guy Toubes, Showrunner
Stinky & Dirty Show, CoComelon Lane
“Chowdhry’s unbridled ambition and meticulous detail boldly announce a filmmaker’s debut that demands attention. As writer, director, producer, photographer, editor, and actor, Chowdhry instantly gives a whole new meaning to the term auteur — and the world is better for it.” — Sabir Pirzada, Screenwriter, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Thor: Love & Thunder
“‘ANXIOUS.’ is Nida Chowdhry’s complete vision – encompassing the writing, performance, direction, costumes, music and absolutely everything else. It’s funny and challenging and wildly imaginative. The film continues to knock me out. Love it!” 
— Greg Weisman, Creator, Young Justice, Gargoyles
“This is a film that consistently tops itself. Just when you think it can’t get any better, it does. I was captivated by the fashion and blown away by Nida Chowdhry as a performer. Anxious is a gorgeous, emotional film that touched my heart.”
— Jo Rochelle, Director
Jasmine is a Star, Welcome Home, Sirens
“‘ANXIOUS.’ is a wholly original work of true passion, every second of which reflects the unique vision of its filmmaker. In a world of AI-generated mediocrity, it’s wonderfully refreshing to experience a sweet, sad, funny film that could only have been made by Nida Chowdhry.”
— Andrew Guerdat, Screenwriter
Mork & Mindy, Boy Meets World 
“When I started out in the early 90s it was almost impossible to find a female director in our industry. So, it is wonderful to see the work of a female director, who also happens to be a person of color, to have the kind of success Nida has achieved. I wish her continued success in telling our stories.”
— Iqbal Theba, Actor, Glee, Community 
“Reflecting on Anxious brings up one word for me: bold. Bold. Bold. Bold. Chowdhry’s debut feature reveals a filmmaker with a voice seemingly on her tenth film, a voice so clear and loud and self-assured.”
— Joshua Roark, Editor-In-Chief of Frontier Poetry
Screenwriter, Dead Deer High
“Charming, heartfelt, and profound, Nida Chowdhry’s ‘ANXIOUS.’ whimsically confronts the most contradictory parts of the human psyche with style and grace.” 
— Sabir Pirzada, Screenwriter
Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Thor: Love & Thunder
“Anxious is not only beautiful and exciting to look at with its energetic moves in editing and storytelling—the costuming alone!—but the writing, the characters, and the dynamic tone drive home a tearful emotional experience that is fresh and surprising.”
— Joshua Roark, Editor-In-Chief of Frontier Poetry
Screenwriter, Dead Deer High

UPCOMING SCREENINGS.

PARIS
FRANCE PREMIERE

Thursday, October 30, 2025
7pm at Hôtel Le 123 Sébastopol
Screening + Director Q&A

LONDON

Saturday, November 15, 2025
UK Fashion Film Festival
BFI Southbank
BUY TICKETS >>
Nominated for Best Actress

DUBLIN

November 10-22, 2025
Silk Road International Film Festival
BUY TICKETS >>
Winner: Best Actress

MADRID
SPAIN PREMIERE

Thursday, November 27, 2025
El Ojo Cojo International Film Festival
Centro Cultural Valdebernardo
BUY TICKETS >>

MISSISSAUGA
CANADA PREMIERE

Thursday, November 27, 2025
Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival
4pm at Living Arts Centre
BUY TICKETS >>

MILAN
ITALY PREMIERE

December 8-11, 2025
Milan Film Fest International
BUY TICKETS >>
Winner: Best English Language Feature FIlm, Best Actor (Anwar Molani)
Nominated for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor (Anwar Molani), Best Hair & Makeup (Emma Croft), Best English Language Feature Film, Best Picture of the Festival

KUALA LUMPUR
MALAYSIA PREMIERE

Kuala Lumpur International Film Awards
Details Coming Soon

PAST SCREENINGS.

LOS ANGELES
WORLD PREMIERE

Sunday, June 30, 2024
Dances With Films Festival
2pm at the Chinese Theater
Screening + Director Q&A

D.C.
EAST COAST PREMIERE

Sunday, September 15, 2024
D.C. South Asian Film Festival
10:30am at Cinema Arts Theaters
Screening + Director Q&A

CHARLOTTE
NORTH CAROLINA PREMIERE

Saturday, September 28, 2024
Charlotte Film Festival
8:15pm at The Independent Picture House
Screening + Director Q&A

SEATTLE
WASHINGTON PREMIERE

Friday, October 18, 2024
Tasveer Film Festival
2pm at Paccar Imax Theater
Screening + Director Q&A

LOS ANGELES

Thursday, October 24, 2024
Micheaux Film Festival
4:15pm at The Culver Theater
Nominated for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Screenplay
Winner: Best Actress

PHILADELPHIA
PENNSYLVANIA PREMIERE

Saturday, November 9, 2024
Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
5:30pm at Asian Arts Initiative
Screening + Director Q&A with South Asians for Change

STATE COLLEGE

November 2024
Centre Film Festival

SAN DIEGO

Saturday, November 16, 2024
San Diego Asian Film Festival
12:40pm at Edwards Mira Mesa
Screening + Director Q&A

NEW YORK CITY
NEW YORK PREMIERE

Monday, November 18, 2024
OPENING NIGHT at Big Apple Film Festival
5:30pm at Look Dine-In Cinemas
Screening + Director Q&A
Nominated for Best Feature

MEXICO CITY
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Saturday, November 30, 2024
Festival Fotogenia
Screening + Director Q&A

TURKEY
TURKEY PREMIERE

Anatolia International Film Festival
February 1, 2025

SAN FRANCISCO

Sunday, February 9, 2025
SF IndieFest
4:15pm The Roxie Theater
Screening + Director Q&A
Winner: Staff Pick

ORANGE COUNTY

Friday, February 21, 2025
UC Irvine
Screening + Director Q&A

PAKISTAN
PAKISTAN PREMIERE

Iconic Indie Film Awards
February 22, 2025

PORTLAND
OREGON PREMIERE

Saturday, March 8, 2025
DisOrient Film Festival
11:10am at Eugene Art House
Screening + Director Q&A

DUBLIN
IRELAND PREMIERE

Underground Film Festival
March 29, 2025
Nominated for Best Feature

HOUSTON
TEXAS PREMIERE

Sunday, June 1, 2025
HAAPIFEST
8:15pm at The Independent Picture House
Screening + Director Q&A

LOS ANGELES

Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Italian Comedy Festival
6pm at The Marilyn Monroe Theatre
Screening + Director Q&A

LONDON
UK PREMIERE

Saturday, October 25, 2025
London Breeze Film Festival
8pm at Riverside Studios
Screening + Director Q&A
Winner: Honorable Mention for Best Feature

Meet our award-winning team and their roles on ANXIOUS.
___NIDA CHOWDHRY | WRITER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, LEAD ACTOR, COSTUME DESIGNER, DP, CO-EDITOR
  • Creator, Writer and Director behind the hit indie series ‘Unfair & Ugly’
  • Staff TV writer at Disney
  • Writer on shows including ‘Young Justice’, ‘Mira Royal Detective’ and ‘CoComelon Lane’
___ROSLYN DI SISTO | COLORIST
  • Awards: Cannes Lion’s Bronze Winner | VMA-Award Winning for Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” Music Video | Honored by the AICP for best color grading
  • Credits: Known for Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” and multiple collaborations with Taylor Swift
  • Clients: Worked with Nike, Adidas, Coca Cola, McDonald’s, Budweiser, BMW, several Super Bowl campaigns
___EMMA CROFT | HMU DEPARTMENT HEAD
  • Awards: BAFTA-Award Winning for Stath Lets Flats | Won Best Styling in a Music Video at the 2018 UK Music Video Awards | Won Best Makeup at the 2018 Unrestricted View Film Festival
  • Clients: The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, Lebron James, 50 Cent, Bishop Briggs and Finneas; Gucci, Stella McCartney and Rag & Bone.
___TANGIER CLARKE | EDITOR
  • 22 years of experience as an editor and instructor
  • Credits: Editing workhas been featured at Sundance, SXSW, and Dances With Films.
  • Fun Fact: Through working on ANXIOUS., Tangier helped FinalCut Pro develop their Blackmagic processing capabilities
___AMY SUMMERS | COMPOSER
  • Credits: Every Morning, A Case For Love, The Gentleman
  • Awards: Won Best Original Score at the 2023 Indie Shorts Fest and Best Composer at the LA Independent Women Film Awards
___AMIRA MERTABAN | ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
  • Brings a decade of experience in film and fashion.
  • Began her career brand building a global fashion line into being featured in Business of Fashion, Forbes, and every global fashion publication.
  • Credits: L.A. Rush, Issac, The Fall, Unfair & Ugly
___MARISSA VONN | 1ST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
  • Director, Writer and 1st AD from Iowa based in LA
  • Debut feature film ‘Knee High’ is currently in the festival circuit
Meet the cast of ANXIOUS. starring Nida Chowdhry as Ruby, Rye, and Rubina.
View and download the ANXIOUS. Press Kit here.
View “ANXIOUS.” press releases here.