Sophie Hyde’s ‘Jimpa,’ starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, to Open Both NewFest and Frameline LGBTQ+ Film Festivals

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. 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.

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 is a 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.  

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.”

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.”

Tickets for NewFest Pride will go on sale on April 30. Tickets for Frameline49’s Opening Night screening of Jimpa are on sale now at Frameline.org; tickets for the rest of Frameline49’s program will go on sale for Frameline members on May 15, with general public access starting on May 16. For more information, please visit NewFest.org and Frameline.org.