Age: 30
Occupation: Writer, filmmaker
Previous TIME 100 Appearances: 0
A first-time director no one knew, who made a film without stars about ugly aliens in a South African slum, beat out the likes of Spike Jonze and Tom Ford for a coveted Best Picture nomination at this year's Oscars. With District 9, Blomkamp molded a vision of socially-conscious sci-fi that established him as one of the most creative — and commercially-viable — filmmakers of his generation.