Anxiously Engaged
Cary Derbidge's feature film
about a Latter-day Saint wedding

Related Links



Cary Derbidge has informed us that his next feature film is about a Latter-day Saint wedding. He specifically mentioned "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "Bridget Jones's Diary" as two recent films (from other cultures) which have some similarities to his project.

"Temple Marriage" may be a working title for the project, which is currently going into production, but an actual release title has not yet been announced.

More information about executive producer Steve Ames can be found at LDSDanceInfo.com. Ames is a businessman, D.J. and dance promoter.

On 9 July 2002 the producer informed us that a second executive producer, Shane Kester, has been added to the film, which is now officially named "Anxiously Engaged." Kester has extraordinary experience as a graphic artist and video production artist, has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Film Production from the University of Utah (1997), and has lived extensively in France, Switzerland, Korea and Japan. It was also announced that the screenwriters are Matthew Ball and Mark Greenhalgh, graduates of BYU and AFI film schools who live in Los Angeles and have previously worked together writing episodes of the TV series "Team Knight Rider."

The movie is scheduled for theatrical release in April 2003.

5 November 2002 - The finalists in the feature-length screenplay competition at the 2nd LDS Film Festival, to be held November 13-16, 2002 in Provo, Utah, were announced today. "Anxiously Engaged," written by Matthew Ball and Mark Greenhalgh, is one of 25 feature-length screenplays in the competition. First prize is $400 cash. The 2nd place winner will receive $150.00. Third place receives $50.00. The only competitor who has had a feature-length screenplay filmed is Aaron Orullian, writer/director of the independent feature film "The Appleby Sensation" (1997). A few competitors are known have completed short films. The names of about half of the competitors in the feature-length screenplay competition are new to us, and are not known to have written anything that has actually been filmed.

Throwing Stones at Ourselves: LDS Film and Its Critics

By: Kieth Merrill
Date: 7 November 2002
Source: Meridian Magazine
URL: http://www.meridianmagazine.com/arts/021107stones.html

[EXCERPTS]

Shortly after the release of God's Army, Richard Dutcher mused to me one day that he was surprised a cluster of LDS movies had not followed in the wake of his success. He need wonder no more. There are more new "Mormon genre" movies in release or being made than the market can likely support. Some will be great. Some will be OK. Too many will be disappointing. A few are likely to be awful.

From a really wonderful web site, ldsfilm.com... comes an almost shocking list of "Mormon movies" announced, in production, promised or being created in the most fanciful of day-dreams kept afloat by nothing but faith. Here is what Mormon movie goers can look for in near future -- presuming of course they get funded, finished and finely made.


[15 other upcoming films are listed]
18 March 2003 - There is now a new official webpage for the movie "Anxiously Engaged."

The page is currently located at: http://www.ldssilverscreen.com/anxiously_engaged.htm

This is a subpage of the "LDS Silver Screen" URL that was previously used as an official website for movie, "Out of Step" (2002), which was produced by Cary Derbidge. Steve Ames, the original executive producer of "Anxiously Engaged," owns the "LDS Silver Screen" website.

The website indicates that the permanent web address for "Anxiously Engaged" will be: http://www.anxiouslyengaged.com, but there is currently nothing at that address other than a placeholder file indicating that the URL has been registered.

Shane Kester, one of the "Anxiously Engaged" executive producers, bought out the rights to "Anxiously Engaged" from Ames and Derbidge. The movie and the anxiouslyengaged.com website now belong to Kester.

Currently the only thing at the "Anxiously Engaged" webpage is a HTML stub page which displays an animated GIF. (The only animation is the sequential display of text.)

The text displayed on the page is the following:

two temple weddings

four funerals

and a charming LDS woman
who has just turned 30...

and isn't married!

Anxiously Engaged

2004