The Paper Bag Plan (2024)

Director:  Anthony Lucero
Producer: Ke’alohi Lee
Writer:  Anthony Lucero
Starring: Lance Kinsey, Cole Massie, Ravi Kapoor, Diana Lee Inosanto, Jillian Mercado
Cinematography:  Jesse Dana
Music: Alex Mandel

Director's Statement

The Paper Bag Plan was inspired by the story of my mother and her dedication to my mentally and physically disabled brother, Eddie. It was also inspired by my sister Margie and her equally strong love and dedication to her mentally and physically disabled daughter, Sarah. I wanted to tell a story that reflected a parents everyday hardships and successes with their disabled child. The stress and worry about who will take care of their child once they pass-on is a constant question, especially for people of low income, like our protagonists.

This film is a companion piece to my last film, East Side Sushi. It’s a film that celebrates the unsung heroes of the working class.

This film is a true indie. My wife and collaborator, Ke’alohi, self-financed the film. Midway through production, I realized I was not going to be able to finish the film because we could not get financing for it, so Ke’alohi decided to finance the remainder of the film. This film is brought to the screen because of the love and commitment from the filmmakers.

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.

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.