Neill Blomkamp

Having been a professional animator and visual effects artist since he was 16 years old, director Neill Blomkamp survived the indignity of having his first studio film taken away from him by turning the independently financed sci-fi opus, "District 9" (2009), into a major box office and critical hit. Born on Sept. 17, 1979 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Blomkamp grew up amidst the social divisiveness and government-approved minority white rule of apartheid, which had a profound and life-changing influence on his later creative vision. Meanwhile, his parents bought him a computer when he was 14, which led to his experimenting with 3-D animation, as well as practical effects and prosthetics. When he was just 16 years old, Blomkamp was hired by television producer Sharlto Copley to be an animator for the production company, Deadtime. Two years later, his family relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he studied film at Vancouver Film School. He also earned some practical experience as a visual effects artist for The Embassy Visual Effects as well as Rainmaker Digital Effects, serving as a lead animator on the Kevin Costner-Kurt Russell vehicle, "3,000 Miles to Graceland" (2001).

Blomkamp's work as an animator coupled with his film education naturally led to directing, starting with several music videos for local bands. He soon graduated to television commercials, helming spots for Nike, French automaker Citroën, and Gatorade. In his off-time, he directed self-funded short films that were heavy on special effects, including "Tetra Vaal" (2004) and "Alive in Joburg" (2005); the latter of which was a six-minute documentary-like sci-fi film that explored the theme of apartheid by way of an alien race being ostracized after settling on Earth. After being showcased as a new director at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, Blomkamp earned the Hollywood's full attention by landing one of the town's premiere agents, Ari Emmanuel, to represent him. In 2005, he was tasked with directing his first feature, a $145 million adaptation of the popular video game, "Halo." With Peter Jackson serving as the screenwriter and executive producer, and hundreds of people employed designing costumes and sets, the project appeared to be a sure thing. But the joint venture between 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios fell through amidst money haggling and rumors of lost confidence in Blomkamp, leaving the young director dismayed and ready to go home.

Inspired by Jackson's longtime collaborator, Fran Walsh, Blomkamp set about turning "Alive in Joburg" into a feature-length film, which Jackson excitedly determined would be completely financed outside the studio system. Along with writing partner, Terri Tatchell, he began concocting the script for "District 9" (2009), which expanded upon the ideas of apartheid and minority rule in a more satirical way than he did in his six-minute short. In order to keep costs down, Blomkamp utilized his animation prowess, while at the same time casting non-star Sharlto Copley in the leading role of Wikus van der Merwe, a field operative who keeps alien invaders segregated, only to become exposed to DNA-altering biotechnology that intensifies the rift between humans and aliens. After being picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures, which launched an intriguing ad campaign that featured "humans only" segregation signs, "District 9" became an instant hit while earning the respect of most critics. For his part, Blomkamp received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Screenplay, which was soon followed by an Academy Award nod for Best Adapted Screenplay.