MOUSE to Open in New York and Los Angeles
Kenny Riches writes, directs, and stars in the festival-winning drama alongside Sarah Coffey and Kimball Farley.
MOUSE, a feature film written and directed by Kenny Riches, will open in New York on September 25, 2026, and in Los Angeles on October 16, 2026, with a national rollout to follow. The film stars Riches alongside Sarah Coffey and Kimball Farley.
Denny, a lonely petty thief living with his mother, invents a life of wealth for a woman he meets through a classified-ad pen-pal service — unaware that she is hiding a deception of her own. Their correspondence sets two carefully constructed identities on a collision course in a crime drama about class, loneliness, and the need to be seen.
Synopsis
Between stealing bicycles and breaking into cars, Denny's only social outlet is spending time with his mother who loves reading correspondence from their Japanese family overseas. Denny's loneliness pushes him to sign up for a penpal service from a classified-ad. He begins writing letters to a woman named Tess, whom he develops feelings for, but lies to about his nonexistent wealth and success. Unbeknownst to Denny, the penpal service is a scheme Tess and her real-life boyfriend, Maury, run to take advantage of the lonely. Tess and Maury find themselves in financial trouble of their own and decide to travel to Denny to take him for all he's worth. Upon arrival they find that things aren't what they seemed in Denny's letters.
MOUSE won the Grand Chameleon Award and Best Film at the Brooklyn Film Festival 2026, Best Feature Film at Film Fest Knox 2026, and the American Independents Competition Award at the Cleveland International Film Festival 2026. It was also an official selection at the Miami Film Festival 2026 and the San Diego Asian Film Festival 2026. The film runs 104 minutes and is presented in English and Japanese with English subtitles.
While the story is fictional, its emotional foundation draws from Riches' experience navigating his Japanese and American identities. His real-life mother plays Denny's mother in the film.
Opening in New York - September 25, 2026
Regal Union Square
Regal Battery Park
Regal Concourse
Opening in Los Angeles - October 16, 2026
Regal LA Live
Regal Paseo
Regal Edwards South Gate
About Director Kenny Riches
Kenny Oiwa Riches was born in Toyota City, Japan; raised in Salt Lake City, Utah; and currently resides in Miami, Florida. He holds a BFA in Painting and Drawing. His first feature film, Must Come Down, premiered at Cinequest Film Festival in 2012. His 2015 feature film, The Strongest Man, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released by AMC International and Kino Lorber. His follow-up film, A Name Without A Place, premiered at the Miami Film Festival in 2019. Mouse marks his fourth feature film. He has received support from The Sundance Institute, Sun Valley Film Lab, US in Progress, the Knight Foundation, and PBS. His producer credits include My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To (2020, Tribeca Film Festival) and Sanzaru (2020, Slamdance Film Festival). He is a co-founder of The Davey Foundation, a grant-giving organization for filmmakers founded in memory of David Fetzer. He is also a partner in the production company, Dualist.
