"When we talk about polygamy, we have scholars talking about it," including one who points out polygamy as one link between Smith and Romney. "Mitt called it bizarre, but it's in his own ancestry," Christing said. "At times like that there is a natural link" between the two men in the film, he said.

Top LDS leaders declined to be interviewed for the film, though Christing said he was pleasantly surprised at the cooperation he got from LDS and Community of Christ officials, who allowed him to film scenes at specific historical sites in both Nauvoo and Carthage, Ill.

Romney also declined to be interviewed, even though a film crew traveled to meet him in the hope that they could get footage. Though he was disappointed, Christing said he understands Romney's hesitancy. "He's running as a politician, not as a member of the church."

Richard Bushman, author of the recent critically acclaimed biography on Smith, "Rough Stone Rolling," was among the scholars interviewed for the project, along with Susan Easton Black of Brigham Young University, Roger Launius from the Smithsonian and Newell Bringhurst, former president of MHA.

Historians D. Michael Quinn and Todd Compton were also sources, as was Bill McKeever from Mormonism Research Ministry and LeGrand Baker, who authored the 2006 book, "Murder of the Mormon Prophet: The Political Prelude to the Death of Joseph Smith." All the scholars interviewed were paid, Christing said, "though not a huge amount."

With 45 hours of footage to date, Christing said the film's first cut will be about an hour long. He hopes the film with be "accutaining," he said, a blend of "accurate, engaging and entertaining."

Funding for the $350,000 project came mostly from independent sources — "that means individuals" — as well as a chunk from his own pocket, Christing said, noting he used non-union actors for the re-enactment scenes from Smith's life.

Wealthy individuals — both LDS and anti-LDS — offered to provide money if the film had the right "slant," Christing said. He said the offers were tempting, "but I didn't feel any of those sources would help me with the balance" he said he has tried to maintain. "That's one of the advantages of being independent. You can fulfill your vision, and not someone else's."

Those who did provide funding liked what he did with a previous independent comedy, now in post-production, and were willing to pony up again.

The film will premiere at Brewvies, 677 S. 200 West, at 7 p.m. Dec. 12, Christing said, explaining he was looking for a venue that would provide an audience of Mormon history buffs comfortable with the film's content, and the brew pub happened to be available on the right date. The film also is scheduled to be screened in Los Angeles the same week, "mostly to non-LDS people to kind of hear how they feel about it."