Queer Screen has announced that Jimpa will open the 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival, running from 12–26 February 2026 at Event Cinemas in 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.
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 described as 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.
Queer Screen CEO Benson Wu said they were excited to be opening the festival with Sophie Hyde’s latest work.
“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.” Wu said.
Queer Asia strand returns to the festival
The 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival will also 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.
Ahead of the full program being release early next year, the Queer Screen team have shared select details of some of the films in the festival schedule.
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.
Between Dreams and Hope
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 Gost (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). 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.
Girlfrends《女孩不平凡》
Directed by Tracy Choi
Macau-born director Tracy Choi (Sisterhood) 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.
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.
