At the heart of the film and TV business lies the talent – the creatives who conceive, execute and bring life to the shows, movies and interactive content audiences want to see. Each year, Playback‘s editorial staff selects 10 individuals from across these disciplines as the hottest up-and-comers.

Below, meet four of this year’s Ten (well, 11… there’s a writing team) to Watch. Look for full coverage in our TIFF print issue – along with our annual Festival coverage and this year’s Hall of Fame inductees.

Julian Clarke – editor
Age: 30
Residence: Vancouver
Agency: Vanguarde Artists Management (Toronto), Paradigm (L.A.)

Julian Clarke was thrust onto the world stage after earning an Oscar nod for Best Achievement in Editing at this year’s ceremonies for District 9. It was his first nomination from the Academy, and came with nods from BAFTA, American Cinema Editors (U.S.), Satellite and the Online Film Critics Society.

His long list of credits range from Carl Bessai’s drama Unnatural and Accidental (2006) – for which he snagged a Leo – to Barbie: Fairytopia. At the moment, he’s tied up with post-production on The Whistleblower and is tapped to work with District 9 writer/director Neill Blomkamp on his next project.

Ravida Din – producer
Age: 45
Residence: Montreal
Representation: NFB employee

Though a long-time employee of the National Film Board, Din has been delving more into the production side of the film world recently, and has two major projects currently under her belt. She was named an executive producer at the NFB three years ago, and her executive producer credits include 2007’s Up the Yangtze from EyeSteel Film and last year’s Reel Injun, directed by Neil Diamond. She’s now working began working on Pink Inc (working title) after being inspired by a feminist critique about breast cancer treatments and philanthropy, as well as a film based on Margaret Atwood’s 2008 book Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth on the nature of debt, directed by Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes, Act of God.)

Jordan Gavaris – actor
Age: 20
Residence: Toronto
Agency: The Characters Agency (Toronto), One Talent Management (L.A.)

He’s only been acting professionally for around two years, but Jordan Gavaris is quickly gaining speed. His first TV gig was a stint on Degrassi: The Next Generation in 2009, and just this year, he landed a lead role in new action-adventure kids series Unnatural History, produced by Warner Bros. for Cartoon Network U.S. Prior to that, This budding young actor got his first major project as the top-billed actor in 2008’s 45 R.P.M. from writer/director Dave Schultz and executive produced by industry vet Don Carmody. The film put him alongside the likes of Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill) and Amanda Plummer (Pulp Fiction, My Life Without Me).

Amy Matysio – actor
Age: 30
Residence: Regina
Agency: CTM International (Vancouver)Splitting her time between Regina and L.A., Amy Matysio has had plenty to keep her busy. Her performances aren’t solely limited to the film and TV world, as she recently wrapped a stage run of the one-woman play The Syringa Tree, speaking 16 regional African dialects and taking on 23 characters. She’s been a member of comedy troupe General Fools Improvisational Theatre for the past 13 years, earning a nod from Canadian Comedy Awards this year. Matysio’s recent credits include guest spots on Corner Gas and Little Mosque on the Prairie, but she’s been occupied lately with her half-hour comedy TV series inSAYSHAble, which she’s developing and co-producing with Minds Eye Entertainment for Citytv.

Tomorrow: the final three of Playback‘s Ten to Watch