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<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/b583a53e3e37d728312d02b4e431c8dc.jpg" width="117">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 &amp; 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.

East Side Sushi

A documentary about how to farm slowly and organically with Mora Mora Farm (Catherine Nguyen) of Gresham, Oregon. Director Biography - Anthony Newen<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/574cba5066382e914962df18e010818c.jpg" width="123">As a teenager, Anthony Newen learned how to shoot and edit while making videos on YouTube. At age 18, Anthony moved to Los Angeles and began to work on film sets as a background actor, camera operator, and sound mixer. This experience gave Anthony his “film school” despite not having a formal film education at a university. He has participated in commercial contests that have won him prizes awarded by Loctite and McDonalds. His films have screened at many film festivals that include Austin Asian American Film Festival and OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Farming Slowly

Nomadic chef Yana Gilbuena discusses growing up in Iloilo, Philippines, how she got her start as a chef in the pop-up space and left her day job to spread the Filipino food gospel to all 50 states in the US, and the future of Filipino cuisine. Director Biography -&nbsp;Lisa Yadao, Michelle Sampior, Irene Yadao<a href="https://storage.googleapis.com/ff-storage-p01/press_kits/headshots/001/502/248/original/4f28f206e3-headshot.jpg?1581984621" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ff-storage-p01/press_kits/headshots/001/502/248/thumb/4f28f206e3-headshot.jpg?1581984621" width="221" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.95px; vertical-align: middle; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; position: relative;"></a>Lisa Yadao is a Hawaiian-Filipina producer and screenwriter raised in SoCal and based in San Francisco. She earned a BA in English from San Diego State University, studied screenwriting at UC San Diego and video production at Bay Area Video Coalition. Her credits include short films, web series and videos for Scary Cow, Hypno Bedhead, Lipshtick Pictures, FWD Stance, Square and Caviar.Michelle Sampior is a Bay Area native of Filipino and Basque heritage. After graduating from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Film &amp; Digital Media, she studied Film Production &amp; Editing in Spain and wrote her first short film. Michelle has both TV and film credits to her name. She's currently developing a podcast about solo female travel.Irene Yadao is a writer and video production freelancer based in Maine, New York and San Francisco. She studied journalism at San Diego State University and earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa University. She has written and edited for The Village Voice, San Diego Union Tribune, Maine Magazine and DownEast Magazine, and she has worked behind the scenes on documentaries and indie films.

Roots and Wings: Yana Gilbuena

The story of Asian-American farmers in California fighting to reclaim their agricultural heritage through their cultural roots and communities. Director Biography - Kuang Lee, Producer Biography - Pamela Gibson MacDougall<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/eaa1c1a9eeb078618296b41dc5bd304c.jpg" width="193"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/5339602650d7e9340d30930256762aca.jpg" width="167"> Director Biography - Kuang Lee Kuang's work spans everything from telling brand stories for Fortune 500 tech companies and writing on the USA drama “Common Law", to creating award-winning documentaries like “Japantown.” And with every project, it is the story that beats loudly in his heart. His first narrative feature, BUDDY SOLITAIRE, starring Golden Globe Award Winner Sally Kirkland, toured major film festivals and was picked up for distribution by HULU. Kuang is the owner of Satellite Films, a Bay Area production company that creates brand content and short documentaries for corporations and nonprofits. A new father, Kuang lives in Oakland, California with his wife Stephanie and his daughter Sophia. Producer Biography - Pamela Gibson MacDougall Pam MacDougall is an Emmy-winning writer/producer with over 20 years experience working with clients like NBC, Disney, People, Time, and Western Digital. She’s developed a 360°perspective creating content for broadcast, cable, radio and digital platforms. At her core, she's a storyteller, and it’s in telling stories that amplify underserved voices, that she’s found her professional soul-mate.

Rooted

What happens when a master of her craft creates something with her bare hands, putting behind it tradition, family, and extreme attention to detail? In Chef Mutsuko Soma's case, the best soba noodles in America, created everyday from scratch with just buckwheat flour and water. When Chef Soma set out to open her soba noodle restaurant Kamonegi, she became the only person on the west coast making soba noodles by hand, and the only woman chef-owner in America with that claim. In 17 short months, Chef Soma's restaurant has received a myriad of accolades, including two James Beard Award nomination, one of the best new restaurants in America, and Food &amp; Wine's Top New Chefs 2019. Maybe more importantly, she has brought to the food scene an artform that although is traditional, has often become forgotten. This short film takes a look into Chef Soma's philosophy, dedication to tradition, and an inside look at the preparation of her world class menu. Director Biography -&nbsp;Peter Trinh<a href="https://storage.googleapis.com/ff-storage-p01/press_kits/headshots/001/255/820/original/10e06dff82-headshot.jpg?1561060163" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ff-storage-p01/press_kits/headshots/001/255/820/thumb/10e06dff82-headshot.jpg?1561060163" width="89" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.95px; vertical-align: middle; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; position: relative;"></a>Peter Trinh is a filmmaker and freelance writer based in Seattle. He is a first-generation Asian-American, born to Chinese immigrants from Vietnam. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Peter creates film through a cultural lens, exploring identity and tradition. His films have been shown in film festivals across the US.

SOMA

In Dos Palos, a small town with big farm lands, in the San Joaquin Valley in Central California, there is the oldest family-owned and operated rice farm, called the "Koda Farms." The founder of the Koda Farms is originally from Iwaki city, Fukushima, Japan, born in 1882. His name is Keisaburo Koda, who was widely known amongst Japanese Americans as the "Rice King" whose throne has been carried on by his grandchildren, Ross and Robin. This documentary is about perseverance, persistance, and passion of the Koda Farms through various hardships since the 1920's and also a tribute to Keisaburo, the original seed of the Koda Farms. Director Biography: Masanori Baba <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/e57932760b0dfd59dffd91de90bd245d.png" width="141"> Born and raised in Nagoya, Japan, Masa graduated from Sophia University. He moved to Los Angeles right after graduation to pursue his dream of film making. Masa enrolled in the University of California, Los Angeles Extension Program, where he completed courses in film production, subsequently writing, producing and directing his first short film, Chiyo. Chiyo had the honor to be selected as a semi-finalist for the 79th Academy Awards. Masa previously worked for about six years as a Producer’s Assistant at an independent film production/distribution company in Hollywood. He was also previously an Associate Producer for a joint American/Japanese television pilot show funded by the Japanese government. In 2010, Masa created his own production company. Several feature film projects are currently under development, including an adaptation for a well-known Japanese non-fiction novel based on a true story, as well as Chiyo’s feature film. Masa has also worked on a large, high budget movie script for a Hollywood major studio as a translator. As director/producer, Masa tries to put his heart and soul into every project.

SEED

Food, Culinary, Lifestyle package includes 6 films

General Admisson

Thank&nbsp;you&nbsp;for your generous donation to the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest, a production of CATS (Contemporary Asian Theater Scene), a non profit 501c3. EIN: 77-0402633 Thank&nbsp;You,Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest<a href="https://www.svapfilmfest.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.svapfilmfest.org</a>

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