Bulldog Film Distribution has released the official trailer for FAMILIAR TOUCH, the acclaimed and deeply moving “coming‑of‑old‑age” drama arriving in select UK & Ireland cinemas on 19 June 2026. Following a celebrated run on the festival circuit, the film has already earned strong praise from critics for its sensory‑rich storytelling and a remarkable lead performance from Kathleen Chalfant.
Little White Lies hailed the film as “a stunning, sensory‑forward portrait of a woman with dementia,” while The New York Times praised Chalfant’s work, noting that “she radiates a magnetic yet dubious sense of poise that undergirds the film’s careful balance of tragedy and hope.”
FAMILIAR TOUCH follows Ruth Goldman, an older woman living with dementia, who leaves her home for what she believes is a date. Instead, she finds herself in an assisted living facility — a place she mistakes for a hotel — and must navigate a new world of unfamiliar faces, routines, and surroundings as her sense of identity shifts.
While Ruth resists seeing herself reflected in the aging residents around her, she forms unexpected connections with the care workers and becomes drawn to her son, whom she confuses for a romantic suitor. A former cook, Ruth finds renewed agency in the facility’s kitchen, and as she slips into younger versions of herself, she embraces the sensory experiences of communal life. But when the truth of her situation becomes clear, Ruth feels betrayed and flees in search of something — anything — that feels familiar.
Inspired by writer/director Sarah Friedland’s work as a memory‑care worker and teaching artist, the film is an intergenerational collaboration created alongside residents and staff at a Los Angeles retirement community. The result is a groundbreaking, deeply empathetic portrait of aging, memory, and the persistence of self.
Film Details
Genre: Drama Runtime: 90 min Certification: 12A Country: UK Release Distributor: Bulldog Film Distribution Theatrical Release Date: 19 June 2026
Cast & Filmmakers
- Writer/Director: Sarah Friedland
- Producers: Alexandra Byer, Sarah Friedland, Matthew Thurm
- Cast: Kathleen Chalfant, Carolyn Michelle, Andy McQueen, H. Jon Benjamin
