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A man sits on a train car next to a young girl. The girl looks up at him with suspicion.

Rental Family

  HIKARI  |  U.S., Japan

Set in modern-day Tokyo, Rental Family follows an American actor (Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.

 English, Japanese 

 103 minutes

  

Tribute & Award Event

headshot: HIKARI
At this screening, director HIKARI will receive the Festival’s Spotlight Award.

HIKARI is an award-winning writer, director, and producer whose debut feature, 37 Seconds, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and won accolades globally. She’s directed episodes of the Emmy-winning series Beef, as well as Tokyo Vice and acclaimed shorts like Tsuyako.

Screenings & Events

There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.

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Media

Film Credits

  •   Eddie Vaisman, p.g.a, Julia Lebedev, p.g.a, HIKARI, p.g.a, Shin Yamaguchi, p.g.a
  •   HIKARI, Stephen Blahut
  •   Thomas A. Krueger
  •   Takurô Ishizaka
  •   Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Gorman, Akira Emoto
  •   Searchlight Pictures, Sight Unseen Productions, Domo Arigato

Sponsors

Film Patron

John and Jacolyn Bucksbaum Family Foundation

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