Rising Stars 2012

Each year, TIFF Rising Stars showcases new Canadian and international acting talent during the Toronto International Film Festival, placing the emphasis on the next generation who are poised for international success.


Connor Jessup

Connor Jessup is an actor and filmmaker from Toronto. He is known for his roles in the Festival films Blackbird (12) and Closet Monster (15), and for the television series American Crime (16-17). His directorial credits include the shorts Little Coffins (14) and Lira’s Forest (17).

Charlie Carrick

Charlie Carrick is a British/Canadian actor from Newcastle, England. His television credits include recurring roles on V and Tower Prep, as well as guest starring appearances on Flashpoint, Supernatural, Sanctuary and Psych. On stage, Charlie starred in the Canadian premiere of The History Boys at The Arts Club in Vancouver, and returned to the same company to play Jacob Mercer in Salt-Water Moon. Charlie was a 2011 resident of the Canadian Film Centre’s Actors Conservatory and has been selected as a Rising Star at the Toronto International Film Festival 2012. He has recently completed a starring role in Molly Maxwell, directed by Sara St. Onge. Charlie will next be seen in a recurring guest arc on the critically acclaimed Showtime series The Borgias.

Charlotte Sullivan

Charlotte Sullivan was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. She is a Genie Award–nominated actress, who has most notably played Marilyn Monroe, America's most famous blonde, in the highly controversial, Emmy Award–winning series The Kennedys, staring Academy Award® nominee Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes. She played opposite Academy Award winner Kathy Bates in the SyFy miniseries Alice and Academy Award winner Peter O'Toole in the film Iron Road. Charlotte’s other film credits include Defendor, staring Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson; Smallville; and Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster, which won for Best Canadian First Feature at TIFF 2011. She is currently playing police officer Gail Peck in the third season of the ABC hit series Rookie Blue.

Tatiana Maslany

Tatiana Maslany, a Regina-born actor is one of Canada’s rising stars. She has amassed an incredibly impressive résumé in both film and television. Tatiana won the World Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Breakout Performance at Sundance 2010 for her role —which also garnered a Genie Award nomination — in Grown Up Movie Star. Her recent feature credits include the starring role in Picture Day directed by Kate Melville and debuting at TIFF 2012; The Vow opposite Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum; Geoffrey Fletcher’s directorial debut Violet and Daisy (opposite Saoirse Ronan and Alexis Bledel), which premiered at TIFF 2011; and The Entitled with Ray Liotta, Victor Garber and Kevin Zegers. Some of Tatiana’s television credits include the Tandem/Scott Free Production World Without End; her Gemini- nominated performance in the BBC/CBC co-production Nativity; Certain Prey for USA network; as well as Gemini Award–winning performances on Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures for TMN and Flashpoint for CBS and CTV.