LUCKY STAR - THE FILM

LUCKY STAR is an independent feature film by Matthew Riutta, who also wrote and directed the award-winning short films SHARKS & MINNOWS (based on a scene from LUCKY STAR), LUNCH LADY, ACROSS, MEDIAN, and others.

It tells the tale of a closeted, Madonna-obsessed paperboy who enlists the help of a retired opera diva to win his Indiana high school's singing contest during the totally rad 1980s.

We all need to remember how far the LGBTQ+ movement has come, especially now as our human rights to love, to exist, and to just be ourselves are under attack. Why not honor our fantastic progress through song and dance? The time to create LUCKY STAR is now.

We are currently raising our initial $80,000 seed fund to hire a casting director, a music supervisor, an entertainment attorney, and a line producer to solidify our budget. Your early support gives our creative team the momentum needed to unlock larger matching grants and production backing.

Our team thusfar includes writer/director Matthew Riutta, producer Laura Wagner, cinematographer Bruce Francis Cole, and entertainment attorney George Rush.

LUCKY STAR has been endorsed by SFFILM, the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, and the Black List, where it was one of The Black List's Featured Projects in October 2025 and placed in the top 30 (out of 1,100 submissions) on The Bay List, a screenplay competition, discovering the best scripts in the Bay Area.

“BETWEEN ITS THROWBACK SETTING AND FUN CAST OF CHARACTERS, LUCKY STAR IS A MARKETABLE FILM WITH A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY.”
- OVERALL SCORE: 8/10 THE BLACK LIST READER

All donations are tax-deductible through our fiscal sponsor, E2AC. Select from the options above, or opt to enter your own amount. Donations of all sizes are helpful and much appreciated.

Join us in being a LUCKY STAR and helping us to create our totally fun tribute to the 1980s by making a contribution today.