Synopsis

Anxiety follows Mia as she nervously waits for her date, Luke, whose arrival brings anxieties of his own. Their inner fears take physical form—well-intentioned but overzealous protectors determined to sabotage the connection. As Mia and Luke slowly bond over unexpected common ground, their anxieties are forced to confront the very thing they’re trying to prevent: genuine human connection. The film uses humor and personification to remind us that while anxiety may try to keep us safe, it’s connection that ultimately moves us forward. 

Director's Statement

My inspiration for this film was to personify emotions that feel heavy or isolating, and to remind us that we are not alone in our inner struggles - connection is what makes us human. I chose to cast the same actors as both their external selves and their anxieties to create an immediate, intuitive understanding of what’s happening internally. I played with the balance of how intense the anxieties felt to show that they’re not mean, they just mean well. 

Crew & Cast

NANCY SANCHEZ | SOCIAL: INSTAGRAM - @lady_bug_pictures 

Nancy Sanchez is a Los Angeles–based writer, director, and producer whose work blends humor, empathy, and emotional truth to spark conversation and connection. With more than 15 years in the entertainment industry — spanning film distribution, marketing, and production — Nancy has collaborated with over a hundred filmmakers and producers, including numerous documentarians. 

Her background on both the creative and strategic sides of filmmaking allow her to think big picture during development while executing with precision through production and distribution. This dual perspective fuels her mission to tell stories that humanize complex inner worlds and foster collective understanding. 

Nancy wrote, produced, and directed the short film Anxiety, an official selection at the 2024 LA Shorts Fest, and her sci-fi short script Cyberpunk Project was the LAISA Fall 2024 Short Script Winner. 

Through her work, Nancy seeks to create films that invite audiences to feel seen — exploring healing, resilience, and connection through an authentic, comedic lens that reflects the shared humanity at the heart of every story. 

ZACK MATZGANIS | SOCIAL: INSTAGRAM - @zackmatzganis 

Zack Matzganis is a creative producer and award-winning director with nearly 20 years of production experience in the entertainment industry. With a passion for creative problem-solving and an eye for style, he’s blazed a trail for himself producing and directing commercial and branded content for companies such as Disney, Warner Bros, DC, and Mattel, among others. Zack’s constant pursuit of making great films and content with great people is what drives him to continue his journey through the industry and bring the vision of amazing projects to life. 

SETH COLTAN | SOCIAL: INSTAGRAM - @sethcoltan 

Seth Coltan is a Los Angeles-based Actor/Producer. As an actor, he appears in the upcoming Netflix series Griselda and has had roles in 9-1-1, NCIS, The Big Bang Theory, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and many more. As a Producer, he has worked on educational interviews for people wanting to learn about the entertainment industry and wrote /produced /starred in the semi-autobiographical comedy obSETHed. As someone who experiences bouts of anxiety himself, he hopes this project will reach a wide audience so people will see they are not alone when it comes to their own anxiety. 

SAMUEL OTT | SOCIAL: INSTAGRAM - @ottpotato 

Samuel Ott is a cinematographer and documentary filmmaker from the heart of Missouri. His first documentary short as director/cinematographer, It Was Good Talking To You, was awarded Best Short Doc at DOC LA Film Fest. His cinematography work has screened at SXSW, HollyShorts and Big Sky Documentary Film Fest, and his commercial work has received a Vimeo Staff Pick and screened at the Berlin Commercial Awards. His latest short doc as co-director/co-cinematographer, The Last Carnival, premiered at Seattle International Film Festival in 2023, and his first feature documentary as director/cinematographer, To Love the Void, had its world premiere at Brooklyn Film Festival in 2023. 

SHANNON J. SHARPE (Mia/Naomi) = IG @shannonjsharpe 

TYLER COOK (Luke/Mason) = IG @tywoo99 

Behind the Scenes