Jim Queen (Opening Filmfest Aachen 2026)

Jim Queen / R. Marco Nguyen & Nicolas Athané / France, Belgium / 85 min. 

We’re kicking things off with a bang again: Following last year’s LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS , we’re continuing our little tradition—the second Aachen Film Festival kicks off with queer animated films from France.

In JIM QUEEN, a mysterious epidemic spreads through the Parisian gay community, suddenly turning gay men into straight men. Particularly affected is gym queen and influencer Jim Parfait, who threatens to lose his status in the community due to the disease. When only the twink Lucien remains loyal to him (of all people!), the two set out in search of a cure. This takes them through Paris’s queer subculture—a journey through its scenes, codes, hierarchies, and body ideals. And as Jim and Lucien begin to question their own resentments, their view of each other also changes…

The film premiered in 2026 as a midnight screening in Cannes. Before JIM QUEEN hits German theaters, we’ll be screening it exclusively in Aachen on September 23, ahead of its theatrical release. Afterward, we’ll raise a toast together to the opening of the2026 Aachen Film Festival!