Released in 2014 | 116 minutes | Directed by Anthony Lucero

Juana’s (Diana Elizabeth Torres) work – preparing fruit for the family’s sidewalk cart – is steady but hardly her life’s calling. Despite the objections and concerns of her family, Juana decides to pursue her dream of becoming an expert sushi chef, to go where her heart tells her, not where she is expected to be. Faced with the obstacles of being the wrong gender and race for her chosen profession, Juana must overcome the doubters to succeed where no one like her ever has. With East Side Sushi, writer/director Anthony Lucero has crafted a colorful and entertaining depiction of restaurant politics and cultural dynamics, producing a film that is a realistic look at the changing multicultural world of food in America. -Napa Valley Film Festival