The Oscar®-qualified short film Mushroom Dad, directed by Michael Yuchen Lei, has been selected as part of the groundbreaking Indeed Rising Voices Season 5, the celebrated initiative from Emmy-winning writer, producer, and director Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions and Ventureland, in partnership with Indeed.

A poignant and surreal dramedy, Mushroom Dad follows a young chef struggling to manage the most important night of his career, the opening of his restaurant, while unexpectedly caring for his Chinese-immigrant father, who accidentally consumes psychedelic mushrooms. Blending humor and heart, the film is both a playful family tale and a meditation on identity, generational divides, and the immigrant experience.

Now in its fifth year, Indeed Rising Voices continues to champion bold, authentic storytelling from underrepresented filmmakers, providing resources and mentorship to amplify their visions on a global stage. With Mushroom Dad, Lei contributes a tender yet vibrant new entry to this canon—one that balances cultural specificity with universal emotional resonance.

Michael Yuchen Lei is an award-winning Chinese-born filmmaker whose fiction and non-fiction work has screened at leading festivals including Tribeca, Slamdance, San Sebastian, CPH:DOX, and Palm Springs. His feature documentary debut A Taste of Sky, produced by Archer Gray (The Persian Version), premiered at Tribeca. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Lei began his career in music as a photographer for Joe Walsh of the Eagles, later photographing artists such as Ringo Starr, the xx, and Outkast.

Recognized as a fellow by Almanack Screenwriters, Points North Institute, SFFilm, the Swatch Artist Residency, and Film Independent in Documentary, Screenwriting, and Project Involve, Lei has established himself as a versatile, visionary filmmaker. He produced the documentary Echo which went on to win the 2023 Audience Award at Aspen Shortsfest and premiered on The New Yorker. He is currently a 2025 Rideback RISE Fellow and an Indeed Rising Voices Filmmaker, developing several new projects including his feature fiction debut.

With its Oscar® qualification and inclusion in Indeed Rising Voices Season 5, Mushroom Dad marks an exciting new chapter in Lei’s career, and a heartfelt story certain to resonate widely.