Japan 2025
110 Minutes
Director: Hikari

Set in modern-day Tokyo, Rental Family follows the story of Phillip, an American actor struggling to get out of the world of tacky TV commercials and into more meaningful employment. He eventually lands a job with a ‘rental family’ agency – a real-world service in Japan that supplies actors to perform bit-part roles in people’s everyday lives. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he finds himself forming genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he begins to rediscover purpose, belonging and a sense of human connection.

Chicago International Film Festival, 2025: Winner of Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature