Gregory Nava

Gregory James Nava (born April 10, 1949) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter.

Personal life
Nava was born in San Diego, of Mexican and Basque heritage. Nava graduated from St. Augustine High School in San Diego and attended film school at UCLA where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in 1976. At UCLA he directed the short film The Journal of Diego Rodriguez Silva (based on the life of García Lorca), and for this work, won the Best Dramatic Film Award at the National Student Film Festival. Nava married Anna 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.

Career
The Confessions of Amans, Nava's first feature film, won the Best First Feature Award at the Chicago International Film Festival in 1976. Later, he came to the attention of Hollywood producers due to the success of El Norte, which garnered Nava and his wife Anna Thomas an Academy Award nomination for the screenplay. In 1995, the film was registered by the Library 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 a Grapes of Wrath for our time."

Collaborations with his wife Thomas include The Confessions of Amans, A Time of Destiny, My Family, and Frida (screenplay).

Nava had directing success in 1997 with the film Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez.

From 2003 to 2004, Nava executive produced the television series American Family: Journey of Dreams for PBS. He also directed a few episodes.

In 2006, Nava produced, wrote, and directed the film Bordertown, which made its debut at the Berlin Film Festival on February 15, 2007.  The film, based on true events, is a political thriller about a series of unsolved murders in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.  It stars Jennifer Lopez as a Chicago-based reporter who follows the story. The film was shot in New Mexico and Mexico.

Filmography
 The Confessions of Amans (1976)
 The Haunting of M (1979)
 The End of August (1982), screenplay only
 El Norte (1983)
 A Time of Destiny (1988)
 My Family (1995)
 Selena (1997)
 Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998)
 Frida (2002), screenplay only
 Bordertown (2006)

Television
 The 20th Century: American Tapestry (1999, Documentary)
 American Family (2002–2004)

Accolades
Wins
 Chicago International Film Festival: Gold Hugo Award, Best First Feature Award for The Confessions of Amans, 1976
 Montréal World Film Festival: Grand Prix des Amériques for El Norte, 1983
 Donostia-San Sebastián International Film Festival: OCIC Award for My Family, 1995
 Bravo Awards: Outstanding Feature Film for My Family, 1995
 Taos Talking Picture Festival: Cineaste Award, 1995
 ALMA Award: Outstanding Latino Director of a Feature Film, for Selena, 1997
 ALMA Award: Outstanding Latino Director of a Feature Film for Why Do Fools Fall in Love, 1998
 National Hispanic Media Coalition: Impact Award for Director of the Year, 2000
 Santa Fe Film Festival: Luminaria Award, 2006

Nominations
 Academy Awards: Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for El Norte, 1984
 Writers Guild of America Award: Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for El Norte, 1984
 Donostia-San Sebastián International Film Festival: Golden Seashell Award for My Family, 1995
 Emmy Awards: Outstanding Miniseries, for American Family: Journey of Dreams for the episode "Journey of Dreams", 2002
 Berlin International Film Festival: Golden Berlin Bear for Bordertown, 2007

References

External links
 
 PBS interview of Gregory Nava with Bill Moyers

1949 births
Film producers from California
American male screenwriters
American film directors of Mexican descent
American people of Basque descent
Film directors from California
Living people
UCLA Film School alumni
University of California, Los Angeles alumni
Writers from San Diego
Screenwriters from California