Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary!
by Alex Billington
July 3, 2026
Source: YouTube
Baldwin like you’ve never seen him before. Strand Releasing has debuted the official trailer for an indie film titled Jimmy, made by filmmaker Yashaddai Owens as his very first feature film. This originally premiered back in 2024 at the Telluride Film Festival before next screening at the New York Film Festival that year as well. Not to be confused with the film about James Stewart also called Jimmy out later in the year. Here’s how the NYFF introduces this one: “In November 1948, James Baldwin left New York and, thanks to a fellowship grant, relocated to Paris. In his first feature, photographer-filmmaker Yashaddai Owens imagines Baldwin’s first experiences in Paris in impressionistic fashion, shooting in black-and-white on 16mm film.” Starring Benny O. Arthur as a young Jimmy Baldwin. The unique film only runs 67 mins and is described as a “jazzy, French New Wave-esque portrait imagining James Baldwin’s arrival in Paris in November 1948.” With a score by Paco Andreo. This one is definitely more for cinephiles and experimental cinema fans as an intriguing deeper dive into the life & words of the brilliant James Baldwin. Check out the footage below.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Yashaddai Owens’ film Jimmy, direct from YouTube (via TFS):
“In his first feature, photographer and filmmaker Yashaddai Owens imagines Baldwin’s first experiences in Paris in impressionistic fashion.” It’s 1948 in Harlem, New York and a young James Baldwin (starring Benny O. Arthur as Jimmy) is seeking something more than his stateside life. Weaving this starting point into a modern narrative, Jimmy charts Baldwin’s arrival abroad through energetic & sweeping handheld camera work in Yashaddai Owens’ debut feature film. From the rich landscapes of Istanbul and onto the streets of Paris we follow Jimmy in his early experiences of life abroad, blurring our consciousness of time and place to uncover the truth of how an artist navigates their way in the world. Jimmy is written and directed by indie filmmaker Yashaddai Owens, making their feature directorial debut with this film. This initially premiered at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival a few years back. Strand Releasing will finally debut Yashaddai Owens’ Jimmy film in select US theaters on July 31st, 2026 coming soon. Anyone interested?
