{{short description|New Zealand film producer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Ant Timpson | image = Ant Timpson at Tribeca (64071).jpg | alt = | caption = Timpson at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of ''Come to Daddy'' in 2019 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1966|4|21}} | birth_place = New Zealand | other_names = | known_for = | occupation = Producer | years_active = 1994–present | spouse = | website = }}
'''Ant Timpson''' (born 21 April 1966) is a New Zealand film producer and director, best known for producing ''The ABCs of Death'' series, ''Turbo Kid'', ''Deathgasm'' and ''The Greasy Strangler''. He founded and hosts the 48Hours film contest.<ref name="Conviction">{{cite web|last1=McKee|first1=Hannah|title=Teacher's conviction upheld after screening Kiwi-produced horror to students|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/84898040/Teachers-conviction-upheld-after-screening-Kiwi-produced-horror-to-students|website=www.stuff.co.nz|publisher=Stuff|accessdate=29 January 2017}}</ref>
== Career == In 2003, Timpson founded the annual 48Hours film challenge, a New Zealand-based competition where teams of filmmakers create a short film in 48 hours.<ref name="connoisseur" /> Taika Waititi and Te Radar won in the festival's first year.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Saxton|first1=Amanda|title=48-Hours film fest will 'celebrate success, crush failures'|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/84344289/48hours-film-fest-will-celebrate-success-crush-failures|website=www.stuff.co.nz|publisher=Stuff|accessdate=29 January 2017}}</ref>
The film ''Turbo Kid'' originated as a submission for the "T" segment in ''ABCs of Death''. Though not selected, Timpson was impressed and approached the filmmakers to expand it into a feature.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Debruge|first1=Peter|title=Montreal-Born 'Turbo Kid' Gets Rowdy Hometown Welcome at Fantasia|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/markets-festivals/turbo-kid-frontieres-coproduction-market-fantasia-film-festival-1201554849/|website=variety.com|publisher=Variety|accessdate=29 January 2017}}</ref> Timpson got Elijah Wood and his production company, SpectreVision, involved in producing ''The Greasy Strangler''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Collis|first1=Clark|title=Elijah Wood talks 'Cooties' and f—ked up Greasy Strangler|url=http://ew.com/article/2015/05/11/elijah-wood-cooties-boy-stanley-festival/|website=ew.com|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=29 January 2017}}</ref>
In 2016, he won the British Independent Film Awards Discovery Award.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Calvario|first1=Liz|title=2016 British Independent Film Awards: Full Winners List|url=http://www.indiewire.com/2016/12/2016-british-independent-film-awards-winners-list-1201752373/|website=www.indiewire.com|publisher=Indie Wire|accessdate=29 January 2017}}</ref> Also in 2016, he won a Saturn Award for Best International Film.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Corry|first1=Dominic|title=Kiwi film 'Turbo Kid' wins big at Saturn Awards|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11662144|website=www.nzherald.co.n|publisher=The New Zealand Herald|accessdate=29 January 2017}}</ref>
thumb|Timpson before the premiere of ''Come to Daddy'' at the Tribeca Film festival in 2019 In January 2017, it was announced Timpson would produce a new horror anthology, ''The Field Guide to Evil'', consisting of eight directors, each from a different nation.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Galuppo|first1=Mia|title=Alamo Drafthouse's Tim League Producing International Horror Anthology 'The Field Guide to Evil'|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/alamo-drafthouses-tim-league-producing-international-horror-anthology-field-guide-evil-9|website=www.hollywoodreporter.com|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=29 January 2017}}</ref> The crowdfunded project is unique in that it will allow backers the opportunity to have equity investment.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Whittaker|first1=Richard|title=Film Flam: Neon, Blue Starlite, and Kiss|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2017-01-20/film-flam-neon-blue-starlite-and-kiss/|website=www.austinchronicle.com|publisher=The Austin Chronicle|accessdate=29 January 2017}}</ref>
In 2019, his debut feature film ''Come to Daddy'' premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film has a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
His 2024 film ''Bookworm'' premiered as the opening film of the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival, where it subsequently won the Audience Award: Gold for Best International Feature.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/festivals/fantasia-international-film-festival-bookworm-elijah-wood-1236024007/ |title=Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival Unveils 'Bookworm' Starring Elijah Wood as Opening Film, Plus Second Wave of Titles (EXCLUSIVE) |last=Carson |first=Lexi |website=Variety |date=June 6, 2024 |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240606152923/https://variety.com/2024/film/festivals/fantasia-international-film-festival-bookworm-elijah-wood-1236024007/ |archive-date=June 6, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Jeremy |last=Kay |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/bookworm-wins-2024-fantasia-audience-award-for-best-international-film-exclusive/5196039.article |title='Bookworm' wins 2024 Fantasia audience award for best international film |website=Screen Daily |date=August 6, 2024 |access-date=October 20, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fantasiafestival.com/en/news/fantasia-audience-awards-28th-edition|title=The Fantasia International Film Festival Announces The Audience Awards For Its 28th Edition|website=Fantasia International Film Festival|date=7 August 2024|access-date=26 July 2025}}</ref>
== Personal life == Timpson grew up in Auckland and briefly studied at University of Otago with the intention of becoming a lawyer before dropping out.<ref name="connoisseur" />
Timpson believes censorship systems are archaic and started a fundraiser for a teacher who was fired for showing one of his films in her class.<ref name="Conviction" />
He owns the biggest private collection of 35mm films in the Southern Hemisphere.<ref name="connoisseur">{{cite web|last1=Smithies|first1=Grant|title=Ant Timpson: Cult connoisseur|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/10598146/Ant-Timpson-Cult-connoisseur|website=www.stuff.co.nz|publisher=Stuff|accessdate=29 January 2017}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * [http://www.timpsonfilms.com/ Timpson Films] * {{IMDb name|nm0863807}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Timpson, Ant}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:New Zealand producers