Rental Family, directed by Hikari

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.

Hikari’s “37 Seconds” made our number one film of 2020!

Hedda, directed by Nia DaCosta

From writer/director Nia DaCosta comes a provocative, modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play. HEDDA (Tessa Thompson) finds herself torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. Over the course of one charged night, long-repressed desires and hidden tensions erupt—pulling her and everyone around her into a spiral of manipulation, passion, and betrayal.

Drowned Land, directed by Colleen Thurston

Deep in the Choctaw Nation of rural Oklahoma rages a fight to preserve the Kiamichi River, reckoning with a cycle of land loss for the Indigenous diaspora and the community at large.

Read our features highlighting Indigenous films and filmmakers.

The Fisherman, directed by Zoey Martinson

A traditional Ghanaian fisherman forced into retirement teams up with a sarcastic talking fish and his GenZ associates on a whimsical adventure to Accra, chasing their dream of owning a boat while learning to navigate the modern world. Filled with laughter, magic, and the vibrant culture of Ghana, The Fisherman made history as Ghana’s first official selection at the 81st Venice Film Festival, winning the Fellini Medal from UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Prize.

Read our features highlighting African films and filmmakers.

Natchez, directed by Suzannah Herbert

After generations of showcasing its antebellum homes and hoop-skirted docents, Natchez, Mississippi, is now reckoning with a romanticized past, an uncertain future and the debt it owes to the descendants of slavery. A cinematic portrait of a tourist town at a crossroads, NATCHEZ follows an array of historic homeowners, activists and tour guides as they tell their versions of the past, and clash over who gets to tell America’s story.

*Summaries of films were provided by the filmmakers to NOLA Film Festival

*The 2025 New Orleans Film Festival takes place in-person between Oct 23-27 and virtually until Nov 2. Coverage of the film festival coming soon by Veronica Miles