Michael Cimpher is a filmmaker, cinematographer, and director working at the intersection of broadcast documentary, unscripted television, and independent storytelling.
He has produced and directed work for HBO Max, PBS, National Geographic, the BBC, and numerous other prominent organizations. He served as producer, director, and cinematographer on For The Love Of Kitchens (HBO Max), which was nominated for a Daytime Emmy.
Over the years, Michael has filmed in some of the world’s most remote and demanding environments—from Antarctica to Alaska’s backcountry, from blizzards at the Dakota Access Pipeline to the streets of Rio during the Olympics. His work has brought him into intimate, human moments: staying with the first Black man to receive a full face transplant as he recovered in Boston, filming with terminally ill children, and working inside Romani communities.
Michael grew up in Boston, lived in London for 5 years, and now lives in New York. Before his film career, he worked as a cemetery caretaker, bike messenger, and bicycle frame builder. He later spent seven years in R&D at an MIT startup, where he helped develop deep-sea battery systems and advanced underwater robotics.
A passionate filmmaker both on assignment and in personal work, he is currently in post-production on his debut feature documentary, And It Was Only a Dream, a cinematic reflection on the year 2020, exploring the collective experience of crisis, upheaval, and transformation. He also recently launched Supernaut Films, a documentary-focused production company that helps local businesses tell their stories with honesty and craft.
His love of cinema began with Maya Deren, THX 1138 on VHS, and a midnight screening of Night of the Living Dead.
He lives in New York with his wife, two dogs, and a 2021 Tacoma TRD Off-Road. // Thank you, ChatGPT, I love you.
