Gala Screenings
Rental Family
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. A Searchlight Pictures release.
Actor and executive producer Brendan Fraser will be presented with the Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award. A Q&A with Fraser, director, writer, and producer HIKARI, and composer Alex Somers immediately follows the screening.
Presented in English and Japanese with English subtitles.
Southeast premiere
DIRECTOR
HIKARI
PRODUCERS
Eddie Vaisman
Julia Lebedev
HIKARI
Shin Yamaguchi
WRITERS
HIKARI
Stephen Blahut
CAST
Brendan Fraser
Takehiro Hira
Mari Yamamoto
Akira Emoto
Shannon Mahina Gorman
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Originally from Osaka, HIKARI is an award-winning writer, director, and producer with professional background as a dancer, singer, painter, and photographer. Her debut feature 37 Seconds premiered at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival and won the Panorama Audience Award, the CICAE Art Cinema Award, and earned nomination for Best First Feature. Her other credits include the Emmy Award-winning limited series Beef, Tokyo Vice, and Tsuyako.