Olivia Colman & John Lithgow Leading 'Jimpa' From Sophie Hyde

Olivia Colman and John Lithgow in 'Jimpa' Mark De Blok

Olivia Colman and John Lithgow are leading Jimpa, a movie about a trans non-binary teenager visiting their gay grandfather from Sophie Hyde (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande), with Protagonist Pictures launching international sales at Cannes.

Filming on Jimpa has entered its third week in Amsterdam and a first-look image can be seen above.

The pic follows Hannah (Colman), a mother who takes her trans non-binary teenager Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) to Amsterdam to visit their gay grandfather Jimpa (Lithgow). But Frances’ desire to stay with Jimpa for a year abroad means Hannah is forced to re-consider her beliefs about parenting and finally confront old stories about the past.

Mason-Hyde is making their feature debut and they are joined by Daniel Henshall (The Royal Hotel), Kate Box (Erotic Stories), Eamon Farren (The Witcher), Cody Fern (American Horror Story), Tilda Cobham-Hervey (I Am Woman), Deborah Kennedy (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart), Hans Kesting (Nr. 10), Zoë Love Smith (Skam NL), Romana Vrede (I Don’t Wanna Dance), Jean Janssens (Campus 12), and Frank Sanders (The Rozettes musical).

The movie is the latest from Australian director Hyde, who helmed four-time BAFTA nominee Good Luck to You, Leo Grande starring Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack, and is also making a movie about Oscar Wilde’s wife starring Emilia Clarke.

Protagonist will be launching international sales in Cannes, and CAA Media Finance, which helped arrange financing for the film, will be repping North American rights. Jimpa has received major production investment from Screen Australia and Align.

“Time and time again we see when a special filmmaker with a unique vision crafts a film that can truly breakthrough and connect with audiences, just like Sophie achieved with Good Luck To You Leo Grande,” said Protagonist CEO Dave Bishop. “Having Olivia and John rounding out such a talented cast, we know she will do the same with Jimpa.”

Jimpa is a Closer Films, Mad Ones Films and Viking Film production. Major production investment came from Screen Australia and Align with the support of Netherlands Film Fund and the Netherlands Film Production Incentive. It was financed in association with The Finnish Impact Film Fund, Aurora Studios, Cinéart, The South Australian Film Corporation, Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund and Mind The Gap Film Finance. Further financing was provided by Kojo, Closer Films and Mad Ones Films. ANZ distribution is by Kismet and The Unquiet Collective, and Cinéart is distributing in the Benelux region.