An aging father embarks on a heartfelt mission to help his physically disabled child gain independence, despite the challenges they face.

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Director - Anthony Lucero

Born and raised in East Oakland, Anthony Lucero’s directorial debut film, East Side Sushi, tackled both race and gender roles in his original screenplay that tells the story of Juana, a Mexican immigrant who strives to become a sushi chef. Written by Lucero, HBO picked up this drama/comedy indie favorite, which not only garnered 15 film festival awards nationwide and has a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score, but was consistently listed on “Popular on Netflix” during its entire run in 2020 and 2021.

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In 2017, Lucero was selected by the USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and the U.S. State Department as an Envoy to participate in The American Film Showcase, a cultural exchange program that utilizes film to “foster understanding, cooperation, dialogue and debate” between the U.S. and selected countries each year. Lucero toured six U.S. Embassies and Consulates in Japan as a film ambassador and screened East Side Sushi to hundreds of enthusiastic Japanese officials, civilians and students.

Lucero is an alum of the Netflix Director's on the Rise and the Disney Diverse Directors Fellowship Program. His most recent screenplay, Billy Dreams of Bagging, was a Sundance Development Track semifinalist.

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SCREENING: Sat. 3/15 @ DGA Theater