Queer Screen Announces JIMPA, Starring Olivia
Colman and John Lithgow, as Opening Night of
the 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival.
Queer Screen has announced that JIMPA will open the 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival, running
from 12–26 February 2026 at Event Cinemas George Street and Dendy Newtown. The festival’s
Opening Night will mark the New South Wales premiere of the film, directed by Sophie Hyde
(Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) and starring Olivia Colman, Aud Mason-Hyde, and John
Lithgow, launching the festival at the height of Sydney’s Mardi Gras celebrations.
Premiering earlier this year at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, and to be released in
Australian cinemas by Kismet, JIMPA will make its Sydney debut as a timely and celebratory
Opening Night selection. Written by Matthew Cormack and Sophie Hyde, the film is supported
by an acclaimed creative team including award-winning Sydney-based producer Liam Heyen
(Latecomers), cinematographer Matthew Chuang (Of an Age), and editor Bryan Mason (The
Dreamlife of Georgie Stone). JIMPA is a heartfelt and uplifting story centred on queer family,
connection, and belonging.
Three generations of an Australian family come together in Amsterdam to reconnect with Jimpa
(Lithgow), a HIV-positive academic. During the visit, Jimpa’s non-binary grandchild Frances
decides to stay with him for a year, only to begin questioning some of his attitudes and values
as generational differences surface.
Funny, accessible, and rich with both sadness and joy, JIMPA is a celebration of LGBTQ+
culture and chosen family. Anchored by a wonderful multi-generational cast, the film places a
queer family front and centre, offering a nuanced reflection on how social expectations and our
understanding of family have evolved across three generations.
Queer Screen CEO Benson Wu said,
“We are incredibly excited to open the festival with JIMPA.
It is a powerful, contemporary film that creates space for conversation, connection, and
understanding, not only within LGBTIQA+ communities but across humanity. It’s the kind of
storytelling I’ve personally been craving for a long time.
”
In addition to JIMPA as Opening Night, the 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival will feature a brand
new strand, Queer Asia, spotlighting contemporary LGBTQIA+ stories from across Asia and the
Asian diaspora. The strand continues Queer Screen’s commitment to amplifying diverse voices
and celebrating the breadth of queer storytelling on screen.
The 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival is presented by Queer Screen, with the support of our Major
Partner Allianz and Government Partners Screen NSW, City of Sydney, and Multicultural NSW.
The festival program will be presented across a range of curated strands, including Panorama,
Out in Europe, Special Presentations, QueerDoc, and more. As a sneak peek, the festival
unveils the Queer Asia Strand, showcasing eight powerful and diverse stories from across Asia.
“It’s a thrill to finally share this first taste of the full program we have in store for Mardi Gras Film
Festival in February. Spanning borders, genres, sexualities and gender identities, these nine
films highlight the many incredible voices crafting authentic and unique queer stories both here
in Australia and across the Asia-Pacific.
” said Queer Screen Programming and Industry
Manager Andrew Wilkie
The full program will be announced on 15 January 2026, with member presales opening at
7:00pm, followed by general public sales on 16 January at 5:00pm.
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Queer Asia Strand: A Sneak Peek
In addition to Opening Night, the 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival will feature the return of the
Queer Asia Strand, a dedicated program celebrating contemporary LGBTQIA+ stories from
across Asia and the Asian diaspora. Curated to showcase bold voices, cultural specificity and
diverse lived experiences, the strand reflects Queer Screen’s ongoing commitment to amplifying
underrepresented perspectives in global queer cinema.
As a sneak peek ahead of the full program announcement, Queer Screen unveils eight powerful
and diverse films that form this year’s Queer Asia Strand.
A GOOD CHILD 《好孩子》
Directed by ONG Kuo Sin
From the director of NUMBER 1 (2020), Ong returns with another heartfelt dramedy inspired by
a true story from Singapore. A courageous and glamorous drag queen discovers that his mother
is living with dementia and, without hesitation, takes on the responsibility of caring for her. In a
mischievous twist of fate, he steps into her life in the guise of a daughter. As their bond
deepens, he unexpectedly uncovers the truth about his own origins.
میان ( BETWEEN DREAMS AND ) و
رویا
Directed by Farnoosh Samadi
From visionary Iranian filmmaker Farnoosh Samadi, BETWEEN DREAMS AND HOPE is a
poignant queer drama inspired by true events in Iran. Selected for the 2025 Toronto
International Film Festival, the film follows Azad, a trans man, and his partner Nora as they
navigate the painful divide between tradition and modernity within their society and family. When
Azad is informed he can only access gender affirming care with the permission of his estranged
father, the couple’s love and future are threatened by prejudice and bureaucracy.
TIGER
Directed by Anshul CHAUHAN
Inspired by real-life experiences within Japan’s LGBTQ+ community, TIGER premiered at the
2025 Busan International Film Festival. Taiga, a gay masseuse, drifts between jobs and
identities searching for possibility and connection. When his father passes away, his life choices
begin to fracture his relationship with his family. Caught between personal freedom and deeply
rooted tradition, he is forced to confront painful compromises in order to survive.
A USEFUL GHOST (ผีใช้ได้ค่ะ)
Directed by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
Winner of multiple awards worldwide, including the Grand Prix at Cannes Critics’ Week, A
USEFUL GHOST is a genre-bending queer satire inspired by the Thai folklore legend of Mae
Nak. The film follows a woman who returns from the dead and inhabits a vacuum cleaner to
prove her love for her living husband. Darkly funny and quietly devastating, it uses the
supernatural to interrogate classism, labour, and the ghosts of Thailand’s past.
WE ARE FAHEEM & KARUN
Directed by Onir
Acclaimed independent filmmaker Onir presents this tender queer romance inspired by a true
story, co-written by Fawzia Mirza (The Queen of My Dreams, MGFF24). Karun, a young security
guard from southern India, is posted to a remote village in Kashmir, where he meets Faheem, a
Kashmiri student whose quiet warmth disarms him. As an impossible love takes root, the two
are caught between faith, national borders, and the suffocating masculinity of the institutions
that surround them. Yet as their bond deepens, Karun and Faheem dare to imagine a future
beyond inherited hatred, choosing love in the face of fear and division.
3670
Directed by PARK Joon-ho
South Korean director PARK Joon-ho’s debut feature, 3670, has already gained traction,
winning multiple awards, including the prestigious CGV Award at the 26th Jeonju International
Film Festival. The film follows Cheol-jun, a gay North Korean defector arriving in Seoul as an
outsider, as he navigates the city’s queer spaces and communities. As he transforms himself to
fit in, scraping by within fragile safety nets and clinging to complex friendships, the film
beautifully captures the layered social and cultural realities of queer life in Seoul.
SUMMER’S CAMERA (여름의 카메라)
Directed by Divine SUNG
Awards winner at the 2025 Jeonju International Film Festival and the Seattle International Film
Festival, director Divine SUNG’s debut feature SUMMER’S CAMERA is a sweet and emotional
coming-of-age film — gorgeously shot and deeply heartfelt. The story follows a high school girl
grappling with the recent death of her father. When she develops the film left behind in his
camera, she uncovers a hidden secret that leads her toward an unexpected journey of
self-discovery.
GIRLFRIENDS 《女孩不平凡》
Directed by Tracy CHOI
Macau-born director Tracy CHOI (Sisterhood, QSFF17) returns with an intimate, cross-city
exploration of love and relationships shaped by the tension between culture, freedom, and
personal values. Spanning three cities, the film features an award-winning cast including
Jennifer YU, Fish LIEW, and Natalie HSU, and is supported by creative partners from Macau,
Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
