HIKARI is a Japanese director, screenwriter, and producer based in Los Angeles who studied Film and Television Production at the University of Southern California. Her thesis film Tsuyako (2011), which she wrote, directed, and produced, screened at over 100 international film festivals and received more than 50 awards, including the DGA Student Award. Her fantasy-adventure short A Better Tomorrow (2013) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, followed by Where We Begin (2015), a dance-driven drama that debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and went on to receive multiple festival awards. Her feature debut 37 Seconds (2019) had its world premiere at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award and the CICAE Art Cinema Award in the Panorama section. HIKARI’s recent work includes directing the pilot and two episodes of Emmy-winning Netflix series Beef (2023) two episodes of Tokyo Vice (2023), and Rental Family (2025), starring Brendan Fraser which she co-wrote, directed and produced. The film premiered at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, where HIKARI was honoured with the TIFF Emerging Talent Award. The film went on to gather Audience Awards at international festivals such as Chicago, Heartland, Hawaii, and Middleburg. She has received the Directing Award from the Critics Choice Award for AAPI Cinema & Television, as well as the Filmmaker on the Rise Award at the Astra Film Awards. Rental Family is currently being released theatrically worldwide.
