The Team
ANTHONY LUCERO
Founder/Writer/Director/Producer
Born and raised in the inner-city of Oakland, Anthony Lucero received his degree in film at SFSU and soon after landed at George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic where he worked as a VFX artist on Star Wars: Episodes I & II, Pirates of the Caribbean, Ironman, The Avengers and Harry Potter III. Lucero’s directorial debut feature 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. HBO picked up this festival favorite which not only garnered 15 film festival awards nationwide and has a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score, but was consistently listed as “Popular on Netflix” during its entire streaming run. Lucero was selected by the USC and the U.S. State Department as an Envoy to participate in The American Film Showcase. 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. East Side Sushi is now shown at major universities around the world including Princeton University, where he was also invited to be a guest speaker. Lucero is an alum of the Netflix’s Directors on the Rise and the Disney Directors Fellowship Program. The screenplay for The Paper Bag Plan was a Sundance Labs quarterfinalist in 2019.
For more visit Anthony Lucero’s IMDB.
KE’ALOHI LEE LUCERO
Executive Producer
Raised in the countryside of Hawai’i by a fisherman father and a mother who danced hula for tourists, Keʻalohi’s path to becoming an Executive Producer has been anything but conventional. She launched her career straight out of high school at Hawai‘i’s public television affiliate, quickly rising through the ranks to become the station’s youngest technical and live studio director. Over the next decade, she directed hundreds of hours of live programming—including a weekly news broadcast and a popular music show—before joining the local NBC affiliate. Eager to broaden her experience, Keʻalohi contributed to visiting Hollywood productions, most notably Baywatch Hawai‘i. As their assistant editor, she played a pivotal role in establishing Hawai‘i’s first post-production facility—originally built out of trailers in the parking lot of what is now the Hawai‘i Film Studio. Impressed by her talent, the Baywatch producers invited her to Hollywood after the series ended. There, she led post-production for high-profile reality series including Average Joe and Three Wishes. A pioneer in the unscripted television space, she was tapped by NBC to modernize their post-production workflow—a system still in use today. Recognizing the editor’s unique role in shaping narrative, Keʻalohi transitioned into editing, contributing to major productions such as The Academy Awards, The Emmys, Miss Universe, and America’s Got Talent, where she became the Co-Executive Producer. Career highlights include editing the Martin Luther King Jr. tribute that introduced Barack Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention; pieces for Francis Ford Coppola, Lauren Bacall, and Roger Corman; and a collaboration with composer John Williams, who performed live to her edited piece for the Emmy-nominated CBS special Movies Rock. While advancing the unscripted genre, Keʻalohi remained deeply connected to scripted storytelling. She led post-production for Turner Broadcast System’s (TBS) first original comedy series and oversaw numerous pilots across major networks. Her latest feature, The Paper Bag Plan, has received critical acclaim and multiple awards. Keʻalohi has also served as a development executive at Universal Television Alternative Studios. A graduate of Kamehameha Schools, she holds a Master’s degree in Communication from the University of Hawai‘i.
ADam shapiro
Executive Producer
Adam Shapiro was fascinated with the entertainment industry way before he moved to Los Angeles from New York in 1998. Adam has been a creative force since then serving as producer, writer, and director on all types of projects including NBC’s America’s Got Talent. He has brought his unique brand of humor and unique ideas to both scripted and unscripted projects on broadcast networks, cable and streamers. Adam helped create the blueprint for NBC’s hit series America’s Got Talent serving as the Co-Executive Producer for hundreds of episodes. During his tenure on the show, AGT has consistently dominated the ratings, garnered over 36 billion online views and is recognized as the flagship show for the most successful reality format in the entire world. Adam is prolific in any genre, manages big scale production teams at the highest level and is especially comfortable leading large edit teams on big projects. He is a fun-loving, dedicated hard worker who thrives in a high stress environment and is an expert in problem-solving on a live his stress set. AGT is live every summer so he is extremely comfortable in a live show environment with hard deadlines. He has written and directed network spots with A list talent like Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel, Terry Crews just to name a few and started his career interviewing the biggest stars in cinema, music and television. He’s been writing and producing projects for all of the major broadcast networks, contributing his talents to a variety of programming, including competition reality, talk shows, sketch comedy, documentaries, entertainment news, docu-dramas and also spearheads major brand partnership creatives as well. Additionally, he previously had a multi-year deal with Universal Television Alternative at NBC developing ideas and formats exclusively for the studio for a decade. With his extensive experience, he continues to write, direct and create new programming, unique formats and brand partnership campaigns and is open to collaborate on any project. He’s also a die-hard NY Giants, Yankees and LA Clippers fan in case anyone wants to grab a drink and go to a game!
taura musgrove
Director of Development
Taura Musgrove is a filmmaker from Baltimore, Maryland and a graduate of Johns Hopkins University’s Film & Media MA program. She formally started her career as a school administrator, and she was instrumental in founding the Oakland School for the Arts in Oakland, California. Understanding her desire to prosper as an artist herself, she embraced the journey to transition her work into the film industry. She took it by storm as an independent producer, director and writer of short films. After joining a small film collective, the first film she produced, One Weekend A Month, went on to win an honorable mention award for “best short” at the Sundance Film Festival. After working as an assistant to award-winning actor Delroy Lindo, she joined the Development, Marketing and Documentary Departments of Pixar Animation Studios as a Management Assistant, Production Manager and Associate Producer. There, in addition to many “behind-the-scenes” projects, she helped develop documentaries for the Academy Award winning Pixar film, Inside Out and educational videos for the Museum of Science Boston and the Khan Academy in partnership with Pixar. Her augmented reality project Freedom Fighter, the recipient of a Saul Zaentz Incubator Fund Fellowship and development funding, seeks to create an immersive augmented reality experience to connect the public with the leadership, vision and non-violent activism of civil rights leader and Baltimorean, Dr. Lillie May Carroll Jackson.
Jared Sams
Development Executive
Jared Sams loves telling stories. First as an overactive kid imagining tales of adventure on the monkey bars, and now as a multi-hyphenate creative force, working at the intersection of television production, content development, and graphic storytelling. In his 20 year career in entertainment, Jared has gone hands-on in every aspect of production–from development to on-set production, to the editing bay. As a producer and development executive, he’s created fresh content and stewarded established IP for traditional studios and streaming giants alike, including Universal Television, CBS, and Netflix. An alumni of the Loyola Marymount University Screenwriting Program, Jared has contributed his narrative instinct and natural interview prowess to award-winning television series like The Amazing Race, America’s Got Talent, Blue Blood, The Biggest Loser, Warehouse 13, and Survivor. Outside the world of film and television, Jared channels his storytelling into the universe of graphic novels. Working with renowned publishers like 1First Comics and Capstone Publishing, he’s written and illustrated titles that have garnered a fan following for their bold visuals and thought-provoking themes. His middle grade graphic novel, Black and Blue, takes on the delicate topic of American policing with a deft care that has earned him accolades by both critics and young readers, while his bestselling series, Space Negro: The Last Negro, has been a lightning rod to the indie comics world, using humor and heart to bring solidarity to the divisive topic of race. Whether producing for television or illustrating the page, Jared brings stories to life from pitch to post-production, striving always to entertain, challenge, and connect to audiences hungry for fresh and compelling content.
nicole figueroa
Production Coordinator
Nicole is a Production Assistant who brings a sharp eye for detail developed through almost ten years of working in photography and design, where she’s gained a strong understanding of composition, lighting, and visual storytelling. Her passion for capturing compelling shots and creating interesting visuals translates seamlessly into the world of production. Beyond this, Nicole is a true creative spirit, readily diving into any artistic endeavor, from drawing and painting to ceramics. When she’s not immersed in the creative process, Nicole loves traveling and exploring the world. This adventurous spirit and diverse artistic background make her a resourceful and imaginative asset to the team. She brings her strong work ethic and broad artistic skills to Blue Sun Pictures and is excited to help the team make amazing projects happen.
