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.