Read our Weekly Gayzette for the latest (and gayest) movie screenings, community events, and industry news from the Bay Area and beyond!
John Lithgow and Oscar winner Olivia Colman star in Sophie Hyde's funny and heartfelt tale of a queer family reunion, as three generations of an Australian family reconvene in Amsterdam. In a bold and unforgettable performance, Lithgow plays the titular Jimpa, an HIV-positive academic at the end of his tenure in the Netherlands, whose filmmaker daughter (Colman) comes to visit with her non-binary teenage child (Aud Mason-Hyde), just as they’re coming into their sexuality and contemplating a move to Europe.
Affirming and open-minded, Jimpa carefully balances the chaos and conflict of a family that proves "chosen" is the new "conventional" — as language, gender, pronouns, resilience, and polyamory all make for lively intergenerational banter and debate. Director and co-writer Hyde (Fucking Adelaide, Frameline43) based Jimpa on her own familial experiences growing up with a gay activist father and transgender child. But unlike their fictional counterparts, the real-life grandfather and grandchild weren't lucky enough to spend the kind of quality time they're afforded in this beautifully-acted, emotionally-resonant Sundance standout opening Frameline's 49th annual Festival.