Filming on Jimpa, which stars Academy Award winner Olivia Colman and Golden Globe winner John Lithgow, began in Adelaide in March, with locations in the CBD and at the South Australian Film Corporation's Adelaide Studios in Glenside.
More filming is now underway in Amsterdam, and further filming will happen later this year in Adelaide and Helsinski. Post-production will take place in Adelaide by Closer Productions and KOJO Studios.
Sophie Hyde, who also directed Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, has written the script for Jimpa alongside South Australian writer and frequent collaborator Matthew Cormack.
Joining Colman and Lithgow in the cast is co-lead Aud Mason-Hyde in their feature debut, as well as Daniel Henshall, Kate Box, Eamon Farren, Cody Fern, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Deborah Kennedy, Hans Kresting, Zoe Love Smith, Romana Vrede, Jean Janssens and Frank Sanders.
Jimpa tells of film director Hannah (Colman) and her non-binary teenager Frances (Mason-Hyde) who travel to Amsterdam to visit Frances's beloved gay grandfather 'Jim-pa' (Lithgow).
When Frances yearns to stay with Jim for their final year of school, Hannah has to reconsider her beliefs about parenting and confront old stories about her relationship with her father.
Liam Heyen, Marleen Slot, South Australian Bryan Mason and Hyde serve as producers, and an exciting team of South Australian key creatives have assembled around the film.
Hyde said: "It is a great privilege to make films, especially when you can do it with the people you love."
"I’ve had the good fortune to do post production on all my films in South Australia with a brilliant team who will return for this, but I haven’t shot a feature film on home ground since 52 Tuesdays in 2011, so it was such a pleasure to start production there before heading here to Amsterdam where we are currently filming with the wonderful John, Olivia and Aud and our superb cast and crew."
South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) CEO Kate Croser said Jimpa would showcase new and established South Australian screen industry talent on an international stage
"The SAFC is delighted to support this wonderful film from acclaimed South Australian writer and director Sophie Hyde and writer Matthew Cormack ..." she said.
Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) CEO and Creative Director Mat Kesting said Jimpa was a "powerful and personal, affecting story that will resonate with many".
"Adelaide Film Festival is proud to support courageous storytelling and extraordinary talent, exemplified by South Australian director Sophie Hyde, and we are thrilled Jimpa will be presented as part of AFF 2025," he said.
The State Government is supporting Jimpa through the South Australian Film Corporation Screen Production Fund and Post Production, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Rebate, and the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund.
