Single mom Juana can slice and dice anything with great speed and precision. After working at a fruit-vending cart for years, she decides to take a job at a local Japanese restaurant. Intrigued by the food, she learns to make a multitude of sushi on her own. Eventually she attempts to become a sushi chef, but is unable to because she is the 'wrong' race and gender. Against all odds, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, determined to not let anyone stop her from achieving her dream.

Director Biography - Anthony Lucero

Anthony Lucero's directorial debut feature film, East Side Sushi, was picked up by HBO after screening at the Miami International Film Festival where it was also nominated for Best Screenplay. Written by Lucero, this drama/comedy indie favorite garnered 15 film festival awards nationwide, 8 Diosa de Plata award nominations including Best Picture and Best Director, has a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score and has the distinction of being listed as one of the "Top 10 Films of 2015" by SF Weekly and one of "The Most Overlooked Films of 2015" from the Los Angeles Times. In 2017, Lucero was selected as a U.S. Envoy and screened East Side Sushi at six U.S. Embassies and Consulates throughout Japan.

Born and raised in Oakland, Lucero draws on his Chicano roots to create stories that are multicultural and socially relevant. After receiving his B.A. in Film from San Francisco State University, Lucero spent over a decade working in visual effects at George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic, working on such films as Star Wars Episode I & II, Ironman, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Avengers.

Lucero is an alum of the 2016-2018 Disney/ABC Diverse Directors Fellowship Program. His screenplay, Billy Dreams of Bagging, was a 2019 Sundance Development Track semi finalist.