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Gregory Nava | |
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| Born | Gregory James Nava (1949-04-10)April 10, 1949 (age 76) |
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| Children | 2 |
Gregory James Nava (born April 10, 1949) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter.
Nava was born in San Diego, of Mexican and Basque heritage. Nava graduated fromSt. Augustine High School in San Diego and attended film school atUCLA where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in 1976. At UCLA he directed the short filmThe Journal of Diego Rodriguez Silva (based on the life ofGarcía Lorca), and for this work, won the Best Dramatic Film Award at the National Student Film Festival. Nava marriedAnna Thomas in 1975. They collaborated on many projects and had sons Christopher (born 1984) and Teddy (born 1985). They divorced in 2006. Nava married Barbara Martinez in 2013.
The Confessions of Amans, Nava's first feature film, won the Best First Feature Award at theChicago International Film Festival in 1976. Later, he came to the attention of Hollywood producers due to the success ofEl Norte, which garnered Nava and his wifeAnna Thomas anAcademy Award nomination for the screenplay. In 1995, the film was registered by theLibrary of Congress,National Film Registry. According to Roger Ebert, "El Norte tells the story with astonishing visual beauty, with unashamed melodrama, with anger leavened by hope. It is aGrapes of Wrath for our time."[1]
Collaborations with his wife Thomas includeThe Confessions of Amans,A Time of Destiny,My Family, andFrida (screenplay).
Nava had directing success in 1997 with the filmSelena, starringJennifer Lopez.
From 2003 to 2004, Nava created and executive produced the television seriesAmerican Family: Journey of Dreams forPBS. He also directed a few episodes.
In 2006, Nava produced, wrote, and directed the filmBordertown, which made its debut at theBerlin Film Festival on February 15, 2007. The film, based on true events, is a political thriller about aseries of unsolved murders in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. It stars Jennifer Lopez as a Chicago-based reporter who follows the story.[2] The film was shot in New Mexico and Mexico.
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