Jimpa starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow will open the 2025 editions of NewFest Pride on Thursday, May 29th and Frameline49, the 49th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival on Wednesday, June 18th. Directed by filmmaker Sophie Hyde, the drama made its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Jimpa is an uplifting multi-generational family story in which filmmaker Hannah (Olivia Colman) takes her trans nonbinary teenager Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) to Amsterdam to visit their gay grandfather—lovingly known as “Jimpa” (John Lithgow). But Frances’ desire to stay with Jimpa for a year abroad means Hannah is forced to reconsider her beliefs about parenting and finally confront old stories about the past. Funny, poignant, and bolstered by a wonderful ensemble cast, JIMPA is a celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and queer family that looks, with nuance, at just how much has changed in three generations.
Grandfather Jim faces the challenges of being an ageing gay man in a generation of men that never expected to age, teenager Frances is confronted with the disappointment of their heroes failing to live up to their ideals, and the reality of practising your own values, and mother Hannah struggles to negotiate the views of her father and her child and reconcile that the story most helpful to her, might not be the one everyone agrees with. Around these three is a rich world of vital and familiar people, a world of family: the ones we are born into and the ones we create.
Drawing inspiration from the queer family she was raised in, and the identity of her child, acclaimed filmmaker Sophie Hyde tackles her most personal story yet with her trademark authenticity and intimacy.
Jimpa director Sophie Hyde said: “It’s an honor to screen Jimpa as the opening night film of both NewFest Pride and Frameline after our premiere at Sundance at the start of the year. JIMPA was made with a community of creative collaborators, an incredible cast and crew of queer people and allies, from The Netherlands, US, UK, Finland and Australia. The stories we tell help us work out who we want to be, and this one is filled with joy, a celebration of queerness told with warmth, humor and love. Now more than ever we must hold onto these feelings and each other, and stand with the LGBTQI+ community and especially the Trans community.”
David Hatkoff, NewFest Executive Director, said, “We are thrilled to be part of this historic moment where both NewFest and Frameline are presenting JIMPA as the opening film for our festivals. This speaks to the power of collaboration and solidarity within our community, and is a true testament to the strength of queer storytelling and the importance of uniting in the face of challenges. By sharing this groundbreaking film with our audiences, we are not only celebrating the work of Sophie Hyde and her incredible cast, but also making a bold statement about the power of collective resilience in the face of adversity.”
“Frameline is thrilled to partner with NewFest and kick off Frameline49 with a screening of JIMPA,” Allegra Madsen, Frameline Executive Director, noted. “As we navigate turbulent times, it’s important to reflect on those who came before us. Depictions of queer families, as well as the LGBTQ+ community’s past and present, allow us to envision our future. And queer solidarity, from coast to coast, is crucial for creating the future we want—on and off screen.”
The 5th annual NewFest Pride will run in-person in New York and virtually May 29–June 2, while Frameline49 will run in-person and virtually in San Francisco June 18–28.