Ant Timpson
Those who know him call him Filmhead (n.) an individual who lives and breathes film 24/7. He has spent every year since 1985 getting kiwis to watch films on the big screen.
In 1993 he founded 2Brothers Films to release independent cinema to NZ audiences.
In 1994 Timpson founded the extremely popular and long running Incredibly Strange Film Festival, a collection of unusual films that traveled the country. It soon became a national institution with an audience of 40,000 attending yearly. In 2004 it joined the Auckland & Wellington International Film Festivals, becoming Incredibly Strange World.
In 2004 his 48HOURS – Furious Filmmaking competition became New Zealand's premier digital short film event. Attracting hundreds of teams, the films were eventually seen by thousands in cinemas, online and on television to an audience of hundred of thousands. In 2008 the event attracted 10,000 participants and 200,000 viewers across cinemas, tv, online.
Also in 2004, Timpson set up The Cinema Circus which is New Zealand's only fully mobile cinema. Bringing movies in parks to the New Zealand public over summer, he has screened the Oscars to thousands in Aotea Square and traveled through the North Island to present premieres to the public.
In 2008 Incredibly Strange was relaunched and now is moving into television with a deal with MGM Channel on SKY TV. As well as the film festival, Incredibly Strange produces a video line and movie marathon.
Timpson is in love with the flicker and keeps an archive of rare film prints hidden around the globe. His film influences are diverse – citing Tod Browning, Sam Fuller, Busby Berkeley, David Cronenberg, Arthur Marks and Andy Milligan as major influences.