Ant Timpson

Production

Ant Timpson

Auckland, New Zealand

Since the mid '80s Timpson has worked in every facet of the film industry; from managing an arthouse, programming for MGM, creating short film events, running drive-ins to producing television and feature films, operating devolved government film funds and mentoring filmmakers. His distribution company released specialist fare starting with Slacker in 1993. He launched the The Incredibly Strange Film Festival in 1994 that merged with the New Zealand International Film Festival. His national film competition 48HOURS with Peter Jackson as mentor began in 2003 and exposed talent such as Taika Waititi (Jo Jo Rabbit), Roseanne Liang (Shadow in the Cloud) and Gerard Johnstone (M3GAN). As a producer he created the hit horror anthology series The ABCs of Death (TIFF 2013) and the following features The Devil Dared Me To (SXSW 2006), Housebound (SXSW 14), Turbo Kid (Sundance 15), Deathgasm (SXSW 15), The Greasy Strangler (Sundance 16) & The Field Guide to Evil (SXSW 18), Censor (Tribeca 21), Mister Organ (22), Family Dinner (Tribeca 22). He recently directed the critically acclaimed feature Come to Daddy (Tribeca 2020) starring Elijah Wood. He recently directed Bookworm (2024) EP'd , She Loved Blossoms More (2024) and Ebony & Ivory (2025) and God Bless You Mr Kopu (2027), When Darkness Loves Us (2027). He was the inaugural recipient of New Zealand’s Art Entrepreneur Award and was a Board member of the New Zealand Film Commission. His 35mm print archive is the largest personal film archive in the Southern Hemisphere.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Come to Daddy poster
5.9

After receiving a cryptic letter from his estranged father, Norval travels to his dad’s oceanfront home for what he hopes will be a positive experience. If only he’d known the dark truth about his old man beforehand.

Come to Daddy

2019

The ABCs of Death poster
4.9

An ambitious anthology film featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world's leading talents in contemporary genre film. Inspired by children's educational ABC books, the film comprises 26 individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free reign in choosing a word to create a story involving death.

The ABCs of Death

2013

Turbo Kid poster
6.5

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, an orphaned teen must battle a ruthless warlord to save the girl of his dreams.

Turbo Kid

2015

ABCs of Death 2 poster
5.4

Taking all that was great from the first instalment, the movie aims to be a wilder, leaner, faster-paced and even more entertaining anthology this time around, with a new crop of award-winning, visionary filmmakers from around the globe.

ABCs of Death 2

2014

Housebound poster
6.6

When Kylie Bucknell is sentenced to home detention, she's forced to come to terms with her unsociable behaviour, her blabbering mother and a hostile spirit who seems less than happy about the new living arrangement.

Housebound

2014

The Greasy Strangler poster
5.5

Ronnie runs a Disco walking tour with his son, Brayden. When a sexy woman takes the tour, it begins a competition between father and son for her love. It also signals the arrival of an oily strangler who stalks the streets at night.

The Greasy Strangler

2016

Bookworm poster
6.4

Eleven-year-old Mildred’s life is turned upside down when her mother lands in hospital and estranged, American magician father, Strawn Wise, comes to look after her. Hoping to entertain the bookish tween, Strawn takes Mildred camping in the notoriously rugged New Zealand wilderness, and the pair embark on the ultimate test of family bonding – a quest to find the mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.

Bookworm

2024

The Field Guide to Evil poster
5.6

A feature-length anthology film. They are known as myths, lore, and folktales. Created to give logic to mankind’s darkest fears, these stories laid the foundation for what we now know as the horror genre.

The Field Guide to Evil

2019

Ebony & Ivory poster
6.2

Two musical legends gather at a Scottish Cottage on The Mull Of Kintyre for a tense summit to discuss a potential collaboration that will ultimately result in a Global Number One smash hit single.

Ebony & Ivory

2025

ABCs of Death 2 1/2 poster
4.6

An anthology of 26 fan entries submitted for inclusion in ABCs of Death 2, each offering various takes on the letter "M".

ABCs of Death 2 1/2

2016

No artwork available
NR

An injured man with an impenetrable briefcase and no memory is found on the shoreline of a remote island by the last remaining members of a once prosperous family dynasty.

The Salamander Lives Twice

The Devil Dared Me To poster
5.2

This is the story of daredevil stuntman Randy Cambell and his quest to follow in his late father's footsteps and become New Zealand's greatest daredevil stuntman by performing the ultimate daredevil stunt: jumping across Cook Strait in a rocket car!

The Devil Dared Me To

2007

No artwork available
5.5

After committing a shocking crime, Gary Cradle secretly decides to change his life and become a good person. However deciding is one thing, changing a life is another.

A Song of Good

2008

No artwork available
10.0

A father blames the death of his wife on his newborn son by inducing the boy to believe he has a physical handicap.... crab hands.

Crab Boy

1996

No artwork available
10.0

A father blames the death of his wife on his newborn son by inducing the boy to believe he has a physical handicap.... crab hands.

Crab Boy

1996