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Austrian Premiere

Jim Queen

Nicolas Athané, Marco Nguyen | FR/BE 2026 | 85 Min | DCP

Guest(s) presentScaredy Cat

The life of gay gymfluencer Jim gets thrown out of joint when a “heterosis” outbreak runs rampant through Paris—a mysterious virus that turns queer men into manspreading straight bros. When Jim gets infected and loses not only his sixteenpack but also his online followers, he spirals into an existential crisis. Inexperienced twink Lucien, of all people—Jim’s last loyal supporter—refuses to give up and takes his idol on a quest for an antidote. Marco Nguyen and Nicolas Athané’s wild animated extravaganza, greeted with thunderous applause at this year’s Midnight Screenings in Cannes, is a riotously funny and surprisingly witty satire about the importance of solidarity within the queer community. (Mattias Fabian)

On 26/09 in attendance of: Marco Nguyen (director), Simon Balteaux (screenwriter)

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Nicolas Athané & Marco Nguyen

are French writers and directors. Both studied at the animation school Gobelins in Paris. Marco has worked as an assistant director, e.g., on Zabou Breitman and Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec’s animated feature The Swallows of Kabul (2019), and has been an animator on films such as The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales (2017) and The Summit of the Gods (2021). He was also one of the organizers of the VendrediX parties, a popular Parisian LGBTQIA+ event series. Nicolas has created animations in the video game industry (e.g., Rayman Legends), has worked as an animator on films such as The Red Turtle (2016) and has co-directed animated series, including Monsieur Flap and Peepoodo. Jim Queen is their feature directing debut, but it is not the first time they have worked on the same project: Marco was a second assistant director on the animated feature The Rabbi’s Cat (2011), while Nicolas worked on the film as an animator.
Language Version
OmeU
Writer
Marco Nguyen, Simon Balteaux, Nicolas Athané, Brice Chevillard
Editing
Ivy Buirette

In cooperation with

Queer Frames