JIMPA to Open NewFest Pride and #Frameline49
NEWFEST AND FRAMELINE, THE TWO LARGEST LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVALS IN THE COUNTRY, ARE UNITING IN THIS SELECTION TO DEMONSTRATE SOLIDARITY IN THE FACE OF ATTACKS ON THE QUEER COMMUNITY
SOPHIE HYDE’S JIMPA TO OPEN THE 2025 EDITIONS OF NEWFEST PRIDE AND FRAMELINE49
NEW YORK, NY (April 17, 2025) – Today NewFest and Frameline, the two largest LGBTQ+ film festivals in the country, jointly announced JIMPA will serve as the Opening Night film for the 2025 editions of NewFest Pride and Frameline49, the 49th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, on Thursday, May 29th and Wednesday, June 18th, respectively. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sophie Hyde and starring award-winning actors Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, the drama made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this past January.
JIMPA director Sophie Hyde said: “It’s an honour 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, humour 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.”
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.
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.
JIMPA – Official Synopsis
JIMPA is an uplifting multi-generational family story. 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.
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 practicing 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. Centering a multigenerational queer family, JIMPA is bursting with compassion, nuance and joy, and is an urgent story for generations who desperately need to connect.
Funny, accessible, full of sadness and joy, and with a wonderful multi-generational cast, JIMPA is a celebration of LGBTQ+ culture that shows us a queer family on screen and looks with nuance at just how much has changed in three generations.
About NewFest
Founded in 1988, NewFest is New York’s largest presenter of LGBTQ+ film & media and the largest convener of LGBTQ+ audiences in New York City. NewFest’s mission is to give voice and visibility to the full scope of the LGBTQ+ experience through films and programs that entertain, educate, and empower. NewFest presents year-round screenings and events, including the annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival, which celebrated its 36th edition in 2024, as well as NewFest Pride and Queering the Canon. NewFest launched the Black Filmmakers Initiative in 2020, and the New Voices Filmmaker Grant, in partnership with Netflix, in 2022. In bringing diverse audiences and filmmakers together, NewFest creates spaces and conversations that have the capacity to open minds, shift cultural bias, and create positive change. For more information, visit newfest.org.
About Frameline
Since 1977, Frameline’s mission has been to change the world through the power of queer cinema. As a media arts nonprofit, Frameline’s integrated programs connect filmmakers and audiences in San Francisco and around the globe. Frameline provides critical funding and artist support for emerging LGBTQ+ filmmakers, reaches hundreds of thousands with a collection of over 300 films distributed worldwide, and creates an international stage for the world’s best LGBTQ+ film through the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and additional year-round screenings and cinematic events. For more information, visit Frameline.org. For Frameline press assets, see here.
NewFest Press Contacts
RJ Millard, Kory Mello, Brit Fallon, Rebecca Casey, Sarah-Jayne Austin
Obscured Pictures newfest@obscuredpictures.com
RJ Millard, Kory Mello, Brit Fallon, Rebecca Casey, Sarah-Jayne Austin
Obscured Pictures newfest@obscuredpictures.com