Hikari's Rental Family - 69th BFI London Film Festival

Starring Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, and Akira Emoto, Hikari’s Rental Family will hold its UK premiere at the 69th BFI London Film Festival American Express Gala on Thursday, 16 October, at the Royal Festival Hall, with screenings taking place around the UK.

The 69th BFI London Film Festival (8th-19th October), in partnership with American Express, has announced that this year’s American Express Gala will be the UK premiere of Searchlight Pictures’ Rental Family at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on Thursday 16 October, with director Hikari and star Brendan Fraser expected to attend.

Directed and co-written by Hikari (37 Seconds, Beef), Rental Family stars Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman and Akira Emoto. 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. Rental Family is produced by Eddie Vaisman, Julie Lebedev (Sight Unseen), Hikari and Shin Yamaguchi.

Rental Family BFI London Film Festival American Express Gala

Rental Family is set to release in the UK in January 2026.

Director of Rental Family, Hikari, said: “I feel so humbled and honoured to return to the 2025 BFI London Film Festival with my second feature, Rental Family, and with a gala presentation! While it’s inspired by a real, and sometimes unusual, business in Japan, it’s ultimately about people longing for connection and discovering the meaning of true friendship in modern Tokyo. I hope Rental Family offers a bit of escapism to Japan and a few laughs!”

Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director, said: “Following the acclaimed 37 Seconds and the subversive, roller coaster ride of Beef, we are excited to bring writer-director Hikari’s latest comedy-drama Rental Family to the BFI London Film Festival as our American Express Gala. Brendan Fraser is set to steal movie fans’ hearts once more with his stunning central performance in a film that explores the complexity of human relations with huge generosity and wit.”