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Searchlight Pictures’ “Rental Family” will serve as this year’s American Express Gala presentation at the 69th BFI London Film Festival.

Directed and co-written by Hikari, whose credits include “37 Seconds” and the Emmy-winning series “Beef,” the comedy-drama stars Fraser alongside Emmy nominee Hira Takehiro (“Shogun”), Yamamoto Mari (“Pachinko”), Shannon Mahina Gorman and Emoto Akira (“Maru”).

The Tokyo-set film centers on an American performer (Fraser) who takes a job with a Japanese company that provides temporary family members for hire. Through this unconventional work, he discovers unexpected human connections that challenge his understanding of authentic relationships versus professional performance.

The film, which will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, is produced by Eddie Vaisman, Julie Lebedev, Hikari and Yamaguchi Shin.

Fraser and Hikari are expected to attend the U.K. premiere at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on Oct. 16.

BFI London Film Festival Director...

The U.K. premiere of Searchlight Pictures’ Rental Family will take place at the 69th BFI London Film Festival, running Oct. 8-19, in partnership with American Express. The gala screening on Thursday, Oct. 16, is expected to bring director Hikari (37 Seconds, Beef) and star Brendan Fraser to the British capital.

Directed and co-written by Hikari, Rental Family also stars Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, and Akira Emoto. Set in modern-day Tokyo, the film follows an American actor (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,” reads a synopsis. “Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.”

Rental Family, set for a U.

The Brendan Fraser comedy, Rental Family, will be the American Express Gala screening at this year’s London Film Festival.

The film will screen 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 (Beef), the film stars Fraser alongside Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, and Akira Emoto. Set in modern-day Tokyo, the film follows an American actor (Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency, where he plays 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,...

The BFI London Film Festival has added the UK premiere of Hikari’s Rental Family starring Brendan Fraser to the lineup of its 69th edition (October 8-19).

Searchlight Pictures title Rental Family will play as the American Express Gala on Thursday, October 16. It comes to Lff from a world premiere at Toronto in September; it will release in the US on November 21, and in the UK in January 2026.

Japanese director Hikari’s second feature follows an American actor struggling to find purpose until he lands a gig working for a Japanese ‘rental family’ agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers.

Alongside...

The Toronto International Film Festival is where cinema thrives, and this year, it’s going to be a star-studded celebration! TIFF 2025 will bring us biopics, twisted comedies, murder mysteries, and more.

Along with stars like Keanu Reeves, Angelina Jolie, and Daniel Craig, we have promising stories that would touch hearts and hold our interest. So, let’s look at the plots, casts, and release dates of some of the most anticipated releases of this year!

1. Good Fortune A still from Good Fortune | Credits: Garam Films

Good Fortune is about a well-meaning but somewhat incapable guardian angel whose task is to save people from minor mishaps such as texting and driving. When the angel notices a struggling gig worker, named Arj, the former orchestrates a life swap between the human and his boss.

Related: Good Fortune Trailer: Keanu Reeves’ Angel Mocks Capitalism in Timeless Comedy Premise

Things go a bit sideways...

Descubre la alegría de las conexiones inesperadas. © Searchlight Pictures

Ya se ha desvelado el primer tráiler y póster de Rental Family, la nueva película dirigida y coescrita por Hikari, cineasta japonés detrás de la aclamada serie Beef.

En ella, un actor estadounidense solitario y sin recursos (Fraser), que vive en Tokio y lucha por encontrar un propósito en la vida, comienza a trabajar para una empresa japonesa de «familias de alquiler» para desempeñar diversos papeles sustitutos en la vida de otras personas. A medida que se sumerge en los mundos de sus clientes, comienza a formar vínculos genuinos que difuminan las líneas entre la actuación y la realidad y descubre alegrías inesperadas dentro de su familia adoptiva.

El reparto está encabezado por Brendan Fraser junto a Takehiro Hira (Shōgun), Mari Yamamoto (Monarch: El legado de los monstruos), la recién llegada Shannon Gorman y Akira Emoto (Zatoichi).

Te Puede Interesar Emma Mackey...

Searchlight Pictures debuted a new trailer for ‘Rental Family’ from writer/director Hikari and starring Oscar Winner Brendan Fraser.

Set against modern-day Tokyo, the movie 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.

Directed, co-written and produced by Hikari. The film stars Academy Award® and Screen Actors Guild award winner Brendan Fraser with a supporting cast that includes Emmy® nominee Takehiro Hira (Shogun), Mari Yamamoto, Akira Emoto and newcomer Shannon Gorman.

Also in trailers – ‘The Choral’ trailer debuts: Alan Bennett and Nicholas Hytner reunite for stirring WWI drama about...

Check Out The Trailer For Hikari’s Rental Family Starring Brendan Fraser!(Photo Credit –Instagram)

Searchlight Pictures released the official trailer for Rental Family, an upcoming comedy-drama starring Brendan Fraser. Hikari directed, co-wrote, and produced the film, which also stars Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Akira Emoto, and newcomer Shannon Gorman.

Rental Family Trailer: Brendan Fraser Lands A Unique Gig In Japan

The comedy-drama is set in modern-day Tokyo and follows an American actor (Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find a purpose in life until he lands an unusual job that requires him to work for a Japanese “rental family” agency. He is asked to play stand-in roles for strangers as part of the gig.

As Fraser’s protagonist gets involved in the world of his clients, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose,...

"What I'm offering here is a chance to play roles with a real meaning." Searchlight Pictures has unveiled the official trailer for a sentimental and heartfelt new film titled Rental Family, the latest feature from the filmmaker known as "Hikari" who also directed episodes of the hit series "Beef" & also the film 37 Seconds. Rental Family is premiering at the 2025 Toronto Film Festival and will open in US theaters in November this fall. Discover the joy of unexpected connections. A lonely American actor living in Tokyo starts working for a Japanese "rental family" company to play stand-in roles in other people's lives. Along the way, he finds surprising connections and unexpected joys within his built-in family. This stars Oscar winner Brendan Fraser, along with Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Gorman, and Akira Emoto. This is seemingly inspired by the Werner Herzog's film Family Romance, LLC (from 2020) which is also...

The trailer for Rental Family has been released, giving the first real look at the upcoming comedy-drama from director Hikari. The film stars Brendan Fraser, Mari Yamamoto, Takehiro Hira, and Akira Emoto.

It will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 before opening in U.S. theaters on November 21, 2025, according to Searchlight Pictures.

The movie follows a lonely American actor living in Tokyo who takes a job at a Japanese “rental family” company. These companies hire people to play stand-in family members in the lives of clients who need them.

At first, it’s just another acting job, but along the way, he finds himself forming real connections and experiencing unexpected joy with the people he’s hired to help.

Discover the joy of unexpected connections. Rental Family, starring Academy Award® winner Brendan Fraser. Directed by Hikari. Premiering at @TIFF_NET 2025, only in theaters November 21st. #RentalFamily pic.

The first trailer for Rental Family has arrived, giving audiences a peek at the upcoming comedy-drama from director Hikari. The movie stars Brendan Fraser, Mari Yamamoto, Takehiro Hira, and Akira Emoto.

Discover the joy of unexpected connections. Rental Family, starring Academy Award® winner Brendan Fraser. Directed by Hikari. Premiering at @TIFF_NET 2025, only in theaters November 21st. #RentalFamily pic.twitter.com/nPZP9Ogc96

— Searchlight Pictures (@searchlightpics) August 5, 2025

According to Searchlight Pictures, the film will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 before opening in U.S. theaters on November 21, 2025.

Rental Family is about a lonely American actor who lives in Tokyo and feels disconnected from the world around him. He ends up taking a job at a Japanese “rental family” company, a real type of business in Japan where people can hire actors to play roles like a husband, father, son, or friend in their lives.

The Brenaissance continues apace! Having made his big-screen comeback to Oscar winning acclaim with Darren Aronofsky's The Whale in 2022, Brendan Fraser has shone in Martin Scorsese's Killers Of The Flower Moon, rounded out a winning run as Doom Patrol's Cliff Steele, and booked gigs starring as Dwight D. Eisenhower in upcoming D-Day thriller Pressure and appearing opposite Al Pacino in Barry Levinson's Assassination. And Fraser's next movie, Hikari directed comedy drama Rental Family, looks set to be another winner for The Mummy man. Check out the trailer below;

Now there's a hook if ever we saw one. We've seen Fraser act in family dramas, and we've seen Fraser act in comedies, but here we're getting Fraser, in a comedy, playing an actor in family dramas — but, well, actual other families' dramas. Yes, it looks like Beef director Hikari is about to pull off a sort-of...

Years ago, talk show host Conan O’Brien traveled to Japan for one of his special international remote episodes that helped inspire his new series, Conan O’Brien Must Go. While in Japan, O’Brien checked out some of the unique local sights. One of the things he explored was a family rental service that the country provides to combat the national crisis of loneliness. His exploration into the topic was, of course, done in a very humorous way. However, filmmaker Hikari, who helmed drama 37 Seconds as well as a few seasons in the first season of Netflix’s Beef, explores the concept with a bit more drama. Searchlight Pictures has released the trailer for Rental Family, which will make its debut at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Keep a lookout for our upcoming review when it screens!

The official synopsis reads,

“Set against modern-day Tokyo, Rental Family...

Brendan Fraser is back in the spotlight — and this time, he’s stepping into other people’s lives for hire. Searchlight Pictures has released the first trailer for Rental Family, the dramatic comedy that marks Fraser’s first leading role since his Oscar-winning turn in 2022’s The Whale. The film will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September before arriving in theaters on November 21.

In Rental Family, Fraser plays an American actor living in Tokyo who begins taking jobs with the Japanese Rental Family Agency, a real-world-inspired service where clients can hire stand-ins for absent relatives or companions. From playing a doting father at a wedding to joining in a casual movie night or filling out a golf foursome, Fraser’s character finds himself unexpectedly drawn into the personal lives of strangers — and, of course, discovering his own need for connection in the process. Fraser...

Searchlight Pictures on Tuesday released the trailer for Rental Family, its upcoming comedic drama that stars Brendan Fraser his first first major role since winning the Best Actor Oscar for The Whale in 2023.

The film, directed and co-written by Beef director Hikari, will have its world premiere at next month’s Toronto Film Festival ahead of a November 21, 2025 release date.

Fraser plays as a lonely, down-and-out American actor living in Tokyo who begins working for a Japanese “rental family” company to play various stand-in roles in other people’s lives. Along the way, he forges some surprising human connections and discovers unexpected joys within his built-in family.

“We sell emotion — we play roles in clients’ lives,” explains Shōgun‘s Takehiro Hira when Fraser interviews for his next “gig.” “…Girlfriends’ boyfriends, best friends, and help them connect with what’s missing.”

He eventually gets a role playing a girl’s father,...

Brendan Fraser goes abroad for his latest film, “Rental Family,” to play an expat in Tokyo. The Best Actor Oscar winner leads the drama from “Beef” director Hikari, who co-wrote the script with Stephen Blahut.

Fraser stars as a struggling actor hired to play a token American man for a Japanese “rental family” company in Tokyo. The role? Acting as a stand-in for other people’s lives for their milestone events.

The synopsis reads: “Set against modern-day Tokyo, ‘Rental Family’ follows an American actor (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.”

Takehiro Hira,...

It’s been over two years since Brendan Fraser won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Whale. And while he has had supporting roles in films like Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Max Barbakow’s Brothers, he’s once again taking the marquee, as dramedy Family Rental has been announced for a November release via Searchlight Pictures.

In Family Rental – which was announced in November 2023 – Brendan Fraser plays a man hired by a rental family company, an actual service where people are given jobs as stand-ins for friends, family members, etc. – in Japan. It’s through this and his experiences along the way in which he learns far more about himself than he was expecting. With a November 21st release, Searchlight looks to be jockeying for another awards contender; with the themes at play, it also could make for a solid pre-Thanksgiving outing at the theater.

Disney’s specialty arm Searchlight Pictures has staked out the pre-Thanksgiving corridor for “Rental Family,” setting the Tokyo-set dramedy to open in North American theaters on November 21, 2025. The date positions the Brendan Fraser vehicle—a story about a once-famous American actor who earns a living posing as relatives for lonely clients—as counter-programming to big-budget holiday releases and an early awards-season play.

Fraser headlines alongside Takehiro Hira and Japanese screen legend Akira Emoto under director Hikari, whose recent television work includes “Beef”. Production began in Tokyo last spring after Searchlight acquired the screenplay in late 2023.

The real-life practice of hiring stand-ins for familial roles gives the film a culturally specific hook that test-screen audiences reportedly found both poignant and humorous. Searchlight plans a limited rollout before Thanksgiving to cultivate word-of-mouth momentum similar to its recent awards pushes.

In the same calendar update, corporate sibling 20th Century Studios reserved February 2026 for “Psycho Killer,...

In 1996, Masayuki Suo‘s heartwarming feature “Shall We Dance?” charmed critics and audiences, receiving additional acclaim following its subsequent international release. Its major success even spawned an American remake starring Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez. With Suo’s original hit gaining renewed attention thanks to the 4K restoration of the original uncut version and theatrical re-release by Film Movement, it’s the perfect time to revisit what makes this film so enduringly special.

The premise is quite simple. Salaryman Shohei Sugiyama leads a stable life with a steady job, a loving wife and child, and a comfortable home. Even with his clear love for his family, he feels that something is missing, a depression brought on by a longing to fill that personal emptiness. One evening during his commute home, he notices a beautiful woman gazing out the window of a dance studio. Infatuated, he visits the building to find out who she is.

Like much of Imamura Shôhei’s work, The Eel deals frankly with matters of sex and sexuality, but with an emotional detachment akin to an anthropological study. That detachment is on display from the start, when businessman Yamashita Takuro (Yakusho Kôji) acts on an anonymous note informing him of his wife’s (Terada Chiho) affair and sneaks home one evening to catch her in the act. In a scene scored only to the faint chirping of insects, Yamashita spies on the lovers with an aloof curiosity before calmly heading off to grab a knife and murder the pair. Only the spray of arterial blood that splatters the camera lens jolts the scene from its reverie.

The film jumps to eight years later as Yamashita leaves prison on parole, toting an eel from the facility’s pond that the warden allowed him to keep as a pet for good behavior. While...

Japan’s Toei Company has closed key deals on Muromachi Outsiders, a historical action adventure by Yu Irie, which it will showcase at AFM ahead of a local release in January.

The film has been sold to Well Go USA for North America, Splendid Film for German-speaking territories and Pro Films for Bulgaria. A release in Japan through Toei is set for January 17.

Set in 1461, the story takes place when the elite of Kyoto were enjoying their wealth while allowing their subjects to die of plague and famine. Incensed, a vagrant named Hasuda Hyoe rallies a group of outlaws – including...

Between the tens of millions of tourists visiting and the soft power success of films and drama series set in Japan, the country has never attracted so much attention. The impact on sales and other deals at the Tiffcom market of Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), however, has been mixed.

“Interest in Japanese content has spread from just core fans to a wider audience. Anime still has the strongest appeal, but live-action productions are also gaining traction,” said Satoru Kamiyama, an executive in the international business department of film giant Shochiku, on the final day of Tiffcom. “We’ve had a lot more meetings and discussions about deals than last year.”

Japanese companies rarely sign contracts to announce or deals at festivals, due to protracted internal decision-making and the need to consult with the production committees that are behind most commercial projects. Usually comprised of at least a dozen companies,...

Winner for Best Actor (Masato Furuoya), Best Supporting Actress and Best Film from the 2nd Yokohama Film Festival, Kazuki Omori‘s third film has an unusual theme, as it focuses on the lives of medical students during their tenure in a hospital dealing, though, with the details of the profession at least as much as on the characters themselves. That Omori was a medical student himself, definitely helps in that regard.

Where to watch

The story takes place during the 70s, and revolves around Ogino, a tall, timid guy, who tries to balance his rather complicated life, not sure about his overall path. He and a group of other medical students, Kawamoto, who entered medical school due to family expectations; Oshima, a passionate student with a strong interest in medicine; Kato, an older student with a family; Wang, a former baseball player; and the only female, the excellent student Midori,...

Production has begun in Japan on Searchlight Pictures’ comedy drama Rental Family starring Brendan Fraser.

Takehiro Hira from Shogun and Akira Emoto have joined the cast.

Beef and Tokyo Vice director Hikari helms the film which also stars previously announced Mari Yamamoto.

Principal photography is scheduled to continue in Japan through May on the story of a lonely US actor in Tokyo who forges unexpected connections after he gets a job playing stand-in roles in people’s lives at a Japanese “rental family” company.

Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev of Sight Unseen are producing with Hikari, and Shin Yamaguchi. Hikari...

Production has begun in Japan on Searchlight Pictures’ Rental Family starring Brendan Fraser as the company announced new cast members Takehiro Hira from Shogun and Oscar winner Akira Emoto.

Beef and Tokyo Vice director Hikari helms the comedic drama, which also stars previously announced Mari Yamamoto.

Principal photography is scheduled to continue in Japan through May on the story of a lonely American actor (Fraser) in Tokyo who forges unexpected connections after he gets a job playing stand-in roles in people’s lives at a Japanese “rental family” company.

Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev of Sight Unseen are producing with Hikari,...

Exclusive: BAFTA Award nominee Takehiro Hira (Shōgun, Gran Turismo) and Japanese Academy Award winner Akira Emoto have rounded out the cast of Searchlight’s Rental Family directed by Hikari (Beef) and starring The Whale Best Actor Oscar winner Brendan Fraser and Mari Yamamoto (Pachinko).

Cameras are now rolling in Japan, with production to wrap around May. A release date has not been set.

Deadline first told you about the project, which follows a lonely, down-and-out American actor (Fraser) living in Tokyo. He starts working for a Japanese “rental family” company to play various stand-in roles in other people’s lives. Along the way, he forges some surprising human connections and discovers unexpected joys within his built-in family.

“It’s an absolute dream to bring Rental Family to the world,” said Hikari. “I am truly so thankful for my collaboration with my partners at Searchlight and Sight Unseen and for their never-ending support,...

Based on the novel “Lost Care” by Aki Hamamaka, which won the 16th Japan Mystery Literature Award for Best Newcomer. “Do Unto Others” is a crime movie with a very interesting premise, which eventually becomes a pondering on the concept of euthanasia.

Do Unto Others is screening at Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme

Munenori Shiba works for a caretaking company and seems to be the most diligent employee, always going out of his way to help the elderly, and never actually complaining, in an overall attitude that has earned him respect from his colleagues, and even something more from a newcomer in the company, Yuki. The latter is also the one who discovers one day two dead bodies in a house the company is working at, one being the head of the company, Haru and the other the elderly man living there. Prosecutor Hidemi Otomo starts investigating the case with the help of her assistant,...

A great respect to traditions and rituals, makes possible that in Japan there is a “do” (way) for almost everything. Therefore, a few years ago scriptwriter Kundo Koyama of Oscar-winning “Departures” fame, came out with the idea that a “yu-do” (the way of the hot water/bath) would be not only possible but also very believable. From this reflection, the original script of “Yudo: The Way of the Bath” stemmed and developed to the 2023 film directed by Masayuki Suzuki.

Yudo: The Way of the Bath is screening at Five Flavours

After shining briefly as a rising star of the Tokyo scene, architect Shiro Miura (Toma Ikuta) struggles to find his way as a solo professional, and – after his father's passing – decides to go back to his provincial hometown and take hold of the dying family business, the Marukin Hot Springs, a small-town bathhouse (sento) that his father had run until the end of his days.

“Maborosi” is based on the novel “Maboroshi no Hikari” “by Teru Miyamoto. The title of the book and movie adaptation translates to “phantom light.” Writing the screenplay is Yoshihisa Ogita. Hirokazu Koreeda's first fictional feature would be a critical and financial success. It would be a major hit at the 1995 Venice Film Festival, winning a Golden Osella Award for Best Cinematography. Many viewers have described the feature as having the calm stillness of a Yasujiro Ozu picture with the emotional tone of a work by Mikio Naruse.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

The story begins in Osaka. Yumiko is a happy young woman who embraces life and dearly loves her husband, Ikuo, and child, Yuichi. She is frequently troubled by dreams regarding the passing of her grandmother. Despite this, she finds happiness in her new life. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes when her husband dies...

A great respect to traditions and rituals, makes possible that in Japan there is a “do” (way) for almost everything. Therefore, a few years ago scriptwriter Kundo Koyama of Oscar-winning “Departures” fame, came out with the idea that a “yu-do” (the way of the hot water/bath) would be not only possible but also very believable. From this reflection, the original script of “Yudo: The Way of the Bath” stemmed and developed to the 2023 film directed by Masayuki Suzuki.

“Yudo: The Way of the Bath” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival

After shining briefly as a rising star of the Tokyo scene, architect Shiro Miura (Toma Ikuta) struggles to find his way as a solo professional, and – after his father's passing – decides to go back to his provincial hometown and take hold of the dying family business, the Marukin Hot Springs, a small-town bathhouse (sento) that his father...

Paris-based sales house completes string of deals on both films.

Slony Sow’s Franco-Japanese culinary comedy Umami starring Gérard Depardieu has racked up a slew of international sales through Paris-based MPM Premium.

The film has sold across Europe to Jerome Hilal’s brand new distribution label Zinc in France, Neue Visionen in Germany and Austria, Praesens in Switzerland, Vernice in Spain and J&j in the Netherlands.

Rialto has also snapped up the rights in Australia in New Zealand, New Cinema will distribute in Israel and Otaku in the Baltics. In Asia, the film will head to China via Age of Smart Screen Co.

Fresh from his Netflix success with “Ride or Die”, a film that everyone seems to have seen for different reasons, Ryuichi Hiroki continues his exploration of the concept of crime and punishment in a completely different setting, the closed community of a small fictional island.

Noise is screening at Asian Pop Up Cinema

The story is adapted from the homonymous manga by Tetsuya Tsutsui and begins with a middle-aged local driving a stranger around the island, before the latter strangles him for no apparent reason. A bit later, the stranger ends up in the property of Keita Izumi, the “star of the island”, since his black figs are about to feature on a TV program that also comes with a big government grant that will help the declining economy of the area. The first interaction ends up without any happenings, but soon Keita’s daughter disappears. The aggravated father seeks...

Shuichi Okita, with a very personal style, delicate but assertive at the same time, has been able to make himself known and appreciated in the circuits of festivals and in less mainstream circles with films that are difficult to label, often defined as “dramedy” that is a mixture of drama and comedy. Like in “The Woodsman and The Rain”, “The Chef of South Polar” and “Mori: The Artist’s Habitat”, the backdrop of “The Mohican Comes Home” is also a small community on an imaginary island in the Soto Inland Sea, off the coast of Hiroshima, where Okita places one of his typical characters, always dazed and looking out of place.

on YesAsia

This time it is Eichiki (Ryuhei Matsuda), the titular “Mohican” (because of his haircut), who 7 years earlier had left his hometown for Tokyo, in search of work and fame in a death metal band.

The Paris-based company is planning a special physical market screening in Tokyo on June 1 for Japanese buyers.

Paris-based sales company MPM Premium has signed a fresh raft of deals on French-Japanese culinary comedy Umami, following its physical market premiere in Cannes.

The film stars Gérard Depardieu as a chef on a mission to create a dish encapsulating the taste of umami, the so-called fifth taste after salty, sweet, sour and bitter that is common in Japanese cuisine.

It has now sold to Switzerland (Praesens), Baltics (Otaku) and airlines (Encore). Previously announced sales include to Germany and Austria (Neue Visionen), Israel...

Fresh from his Netflix success with “Ride or Die”, a film that everyone seems to have seen for different reasons, Ryuichi Hiroki continues his exploration of the concept of crime and punishment in a completely different setting, the closed community of a small fictional island.

“Noise” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival

The story is adapted from the homonymous manga by Tetsuya Tsutsui and begins with a middle-aged local driving a stranger around the island, before the latter strangles him for no apparent reason. A bit later, the stranger ends up in the property of Keita Izumi, the “star of the island”, since his black figs are about to feature on a TV program that also comes with a big government grant that will help the declining economy of the area. The first interaction ends up without any happenings, but soon Keita’s daughter disappears. The aggravated father...

The feature stars Gérard Depardieu as a top chef in search of the ultimate dish encapsulating the taste of umami.

Paris-based sales company MPM Premium has posted a quartet of first deals on French-Japanese comedy Umami, starring Gérard Depardieu as a top chef on a culinary mission.

The film has sold to Germany and Austria (Neue Visionen), Israel (New Cinema), Dutch-speaking Benelux (J&j Films) and Spain (Vercine). France is currently under discussion.

Depardieu plays a renowned chef in search of the ultimate dish encapsulating the taste of umami, the so-called fifth taste after salty, sweet, sour and bitter. The challenge...

"It makes me happy to help folks out a little." Film Movement has debuted the US trailer for an acclaimed Japanese indie drama titled They Say Nothing Stays the Same, which initially premiered back in 2019. The film is the latest directed by Japanese actor / filmmaker Joe Odagiri, and features cinematography by the award-winning Dp Christopher Doyle. "Why does one need a ferryman? One needs a ferryman where there is a body of water and a bridge does not exist. The village high in the hills has a ferryman, but a bridge is in the works. The poor peasant is about to become even more poor. The people, livestock, and goods won't need his services much longer... He meets a young girl on a day when everything was supposed to go like any other day." The film stars Akira Emoto, Ririka Kawashima, Nijiro Murakami, Tsuyoshi Ihara, ...

Japanese actor Joe Odagiri has made his directorial debut with They Say Nothing Stays the Same, a drama that premiered at the Venice Film Festival back in 2019 followed by a subsequent release in its native country. Now finally receiving a U.S. release courtesy of Film Movement on November 12, we’re pleased to debut the exclusive new trailer for the film shot by the great Christopher Doyle, longtime collaborator of Wong Kar-wai.

The drama follows an old ferryman in a remote Meiji-era community. His life is a peaceful, cyclical existence, given meaning by the essential role he plays in transporting people, livestock, and goods across the water, connecting villages and lives. When news arrives that a bridge is being built, it’s clear that his services will no longer be needed. Meanwhile, his life will be equally transformed by the appearance of a mysterious young woman whom he saves from drowning.

Salor Suit and Machine Gun

A perky high-schooler takes on the mob in “Sailor Suit and Machine Gun”, a one-of-a-kind genre-bender that riffs on the yakuza film, coming-of-age drama and ‘idol movie’, inventively adapted from Jiro Akagawa’s popular novel by director Shinji Somai, a massively influential figure in Japanese cinema whose work has been little seen outside his homeland.

Hoshi Izumi is a young innocent forced to grow up quickly when her father dies and she finds herself next in line as the boss of a moribund yakuza clan. Wrenched from the security of her classroom and thrust into the heart of the criminal underworld, she must come to terms with the fact that her actions hold the key to the life or death of the men under her command as they come under fire from rival gangs.

Presented in both its Original Theatrical and longer Complete versions, and...

Immigrating into another country or simply moving from one place to the other is mostly connected with the idea of starting new, of finding a new home and eventually even becoming the person you always wanted to be. While some of these ideals may sound far-fetched and a bit corny, the concept of another country representing the “promised land”, which is a phrase usually associated with the USA, becomes more universal, especially perhaps in a globalized world where every move may be considered an opportunity. The fact these promises can be fatal is one of the themes Japanese director and writer Takahisa Zeze has explored in many of his features, such as “Moon Child”, “Raigyo” and “Heaven’s Story”. In his feature “The Promised Land”, which was already finished in 2019, Zeze, who write the script based on a novel by Shuichi Yoshida, deals with the concept of the “promised land” and its darker undertones,...

Film Movement has acquired North American rights to “They Say Nothing Stays The Same,” the feature film debut of Joe Odagiri, a popular Japanese actor and musician.

The lushly lensed Japanese drama premiered at Venice and went on to play at Busan. Among its many accolades, the pic won best feature film at Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in Turkey and was nominated for the Golden Star at El Gouana. It also played at the New York Asian Film Festival.

“They Say Nothing Stays The Same” will have a theatrical release in 2021, followed by a roll-out on digital and home entertainment platforms. The announcement was made by Michael Rosenberg, the president of Film Movement and Maki Shimizu of the Kinoshita Group.

Headlined by Akira Emoto, the film boasts a strong crew including Christopher Doyle, the cinematographer of “Paranoid Park”; Emi Wada, the costume designer of “Ran”; as well as Armenian jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan.

In the spotlight since his starring role in Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s Bright Future in 2003, Joe Odagiri has amassed an extraordinary filmography, working primarily with indie auteurs rather than big-studio directors, and creating a range of unforgettable characters, each one distinct from the last. Active overseas since 2006, he has also gamely performed in English, French, Korean and Spanish. Among many other awards, he has received Best Supporting Actor at the Japanese Academy prizes for Blood and Bones in 2004, and Best Actor for Sway in 2006.

On the occasion of his feature debut, “They Say Nothing Stays the Same”, screened at New York Asian Film Festival, we speak with him about his experience as director, working with an international crew and particularly Christopher Doyle, shooting in Niigata, and many other topics

What was the motivation your first feature film as a director?

Meeting cinematographer Christopher Doyle started this project. I was invited to...

Masayuki Suo is a director not afraid to touch on cultural taboos in his work, most notably with 1996’s breakthrough “Shall We Dance?”. There, he tackled a foreign influence in ballroom dancing, and its lack of acceptance as a respectable activity for a middle-aged salaryman. His earlier “Sumo Do, Sumo Don’t”, however, looks at a more traditional Japanese activity, but how a younger generation embrace the foreign and see the past as taboo.

“Youth” is screening at Japan Society

Shuhei (Masahiro Motoki) is a slacker student, confident that he has no need to go to class or make any efforts, as his family connections have already landed him a job on graduation. There’s just one problem with this: he actually has to graduate. As such, he feels it’s about time he met with his professor, Anayama (Akira Emoto).

Anayama is something of a sumo wrestling buff; a lean man,...

Based on a true story, where the male members of the swimming team at Kawagoe High School, inspired by the popular Olympic synchronized swimming exhibitions on TV, choreographed and successfully performed their own synchronized swimming event, “Waterboys” was a huge success in Japan, nominated for eight prizes at from the Japan Academy (winning two), and spawning a TV series that lasted for three seasons.

“Waterboys” is screening at Japan Society

Suzuki is a high-school student who wants to become a great swimmer, but continuously fails, not to mention the fact that he is the sole member of the all-boys Tadano High School’s swimming team. The fate of the team changes when a rather sexy new coach arrives at the school, who seems to have big plans for the team. Scores of students rush to join her class, but when it is revealed that she actually meant to train a synchronizing swimming team,...

IFFKThe audience poll was won by the Malayalam film 'Jallikattu', which also got special mention in Competition section. Tnm Staff Asserting that dissenting voices would not be silenced, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan gave away the awards to winners at the 24th International Film Festival of Kerala (Iffk), on December 13, the concluding day. Without mentioning the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, he said that India would not remain silent before anti-democratic forces. The winner of this year's Suvarna Chakoram -- the biggest award at the fest -- went to the Japanese film They Say Nothing Stays The Same. The film tells the story of Toichi (Akira Emoto), an old boatman who has ferried people across the river for decades. One day he fishes out a girl from the river, and slowly a bond develops between them. The second biggest award, Rajatha Chakoram for Best Director, went to Allan Deberton,...

After experiencing the permeating machismo of the Yakuza Papers Pentalogy, the opportunity to watch a film that actually parodied the yakuza ways, and even more, which had a girl for a protagonist, was more than welcome. “Sailor Suit and Machine Gun” is based on the homonymous, 1978 novel by Jiro Akagawa and stars pop idol Hiroko Yakushimaru, with her presence helping immensely in the appeal the film had in Japan, winning popularity awards for both the title and the protagonist from the Japanese Academy. Furthermore, the distribution income it generated was the biggest in the domestic market for 1982, while the theme song of the film, which was also sung by Yakushimaru, stayed at the 1st place of the weekly Oricon Singles Chart for five consecutive weeks.

Izumi Hoshi is a normal high school girl, until one day, and after a number of yakuza appear in the school she attends,...

After dealing with the samurai genre in comedic style with the two “Samurai Hustle” movies, (and after the excellent “Recall” of last year) Katsuhide Motoki decided to tackle the category with a more serious approach, in a film based on the novel series “Inemuri Iwane Edo Zoshi” by Yasuhide Saeki.

Iwane: Sword of Serenity is screening at the Toronto Japanese Film Festival

The story is split in two parts. In the first one, and as the story begins, the titular character is studying swordsmanship in a dojo in Edo with his two childhood friends, Kinpei and Shinnosuke. Kinpei has two sisters; Mao, who is married to Shinnosuke, and Nao who will marry Iwane. When they return to their home county though, tragedy strikes immediately. Shinnosuke’s uncle shares a rumor with him that Mao is having an affair, and an enraged Shinnosuke ends up killing her the same night. Kinpei...

From time to time, one always has the need to watch one of those strange stories that end up impressing the viewer with his personality. Japan is a country that knows well how to tell this kind of stories thanks to well-known talents such as Takashi Miike and Sion Sono, of whom you can see a lot of similarity in this film. Ikki Katashima narrates The Dog Bridegroom, a 4 hour runtime epic tale about a woman who decides to leave everything behind in search of a new destination that knocked at her door.

“The Dog Bridegroom” is screening at Japan Film Fest Hamburg

Azusa is a primary school teacher who does not know what to do with her life. She feels lost and most importantly, she does not feel fulfilled, but one day she hears a voice from the sky that says: “If you go to Imore Island, you will get what you want.

Sho Miyake – directed his first feature, ‘Good for nothing’ in 2010. His ‘Playback’ debuted in competition at the 2012 Locarno International Film Festival and won him several directing awards in Japan. The ‘Cockpit’ premiered at the Cinéma du Réel documentary festival. He also directed TV dramas and video artwork. His new film ‘Wild Tour’ will be released in 2019.

Tasuku Emoto – actor who is from a family of prolific and well-respected character actors. His father is actor Akira Emoto, his mother is actress Kazue Tsunogae, his younger brother is actor Tokio Emoto, and his wife is actress Sakura Ando. He began acting as a young teenager and has since played many supporting roles and starred in a wide range of TV dramas and feature films. He was born in Tokyo on 1986 and attended Wako High School. His career began in 2001 while he was still a student. That year he auditioned for and won...

"Sometimes, it's better to choose your own family." Magnolia Pictures has released the official Us trailer for the Palme d'Or winning film Shoplifters, the latest film from beloved Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda. Shoplifters is about a family of small-time crooks, but the story is really about what happens when they take in a young girl they find living on the street one day. The film's cast includes Lily Franky, Sakura Ando, Kirin Kiki , Kengo Kora, Sosuke Ikematsu, Chizuru Ikewaki, Yuki Yamada, Yoko Moriguchi, and Akira Emoto. This mostly understated, beautiful Japanese drama won big at Cannes, but also won the hearts of cinephiles, earning effusive reviews from some of the toughest critics out there. If you're looking to discover some of the finest filmmaking this year, this should for sure be at the top of your list. It's a must watch film from Japan. Here's the official Us ...