Gregory Nava facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregory Nava
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Nava in 2000
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| Born |
Gregory James Nava
April 10, 1949 |
| Occupation |
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| Spouse(s) |
Anna Thomas
(m. 1975; div. 2006)Barbara Martinez Jitner
(after 2013) |
| Children | 2 |
Gregory James Nava (born April 10, 1949) is an American film director, producer, and writer. He is known for making movies and TV shows that often explore stories about families and different cultures. Nava has directed many famous films, including El Norte and Selena.
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Gregory Nava was born in San Diego, California. His family has roots in Mexico and the Basque region of Europe. He went to St. Augustine High School in San Diego. Later, he studied film at UCLA, a big university in California.
In 1976, he earned a special degree called a Master of Fine Arts. While at UCLA, he directed a short film called The Journal of Diego Rodriguez Silva. This film was based on the life of a famous poet named Federico García Lorca. For this work, Nava won the Best Dramatic Film Award at a national student film festival.
In 1975, Gregory Nava married Anna Thomas. They worked together on many film projects. They have two sons, Christopher (born 1984) and Teddy (born 1985). They later separated in 2006. In 2013, Nava married Barbara Martinez.
Gregory Nava's first full-length movie was The Confessions of Amans. It won an award for Best First Feature Film in 1976 at the Chicago International Film Festival.
He became well-known in Hollywood because of his successful film El Norte. This movie earned Nava and his wife, Anna Thomas, a nomination for an Academy Award. This is one of the highest honors in filmmaking. In 1995, the Library of Congress chose El Norte to be part of the National Film Registry. This means it is considered an important film in American history.
A famous movie critic, Roger Ebert, said that El Norte tells its story with amazing beauty. He called it a modern-day Grapes of Wrath, which is a classic American story.
Nava often worked with his wife, Anna Thomas. Some of their joint projects include A Time of Destiny, My Family, and the screenplay for Frida.
In 1997, Nava had another big success directing the movie Selena. This film starred Jennifer Lopez and told the true story of the famous singer Selena.
From 2003 to 2004, Nava was a main producer for a TV series called American Family: Journey of Dreams for PBS. He also directed some of the episodes for this show.
In 2006, Nava produced, wrote, and directed the movie Bordertown. This film first showed at the Berlin Film Festival in 2007. The movie is a thriller based on true events. It is about a series of unsolved murders in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Jennifer Lopez starred in the film as a reporter investigating the story. The movie was filmed in New Mexico and Mexico.
Here are some of the movies and TV shows Gregory Nava has worked on:
Movies Directed or Written
- The Confessions of Amans (1976)
- The Haunting of M (1979)
- The End of August (1982) - He only wrote the screenplay for this one.
- El Norte (1983)
- A Time of Destiny (1988)
- My Family (1995)
- Selena (1997)
- Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998)
- Frida (2002) - He only wrote the screenplay for this one.
- Bordertown (2006)
Television Projects
- The 20th Century: American Tapestry (1999) - A documentary.
- American Family (2002–2004)
Awards and Nominations
Gregory Nava has won many awards and received nominations for his work in film and television.
Awards Won
- Chicago International Film Festival: Gold Hugo Award for Best First Feature 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)
Awards Nominated For
- 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 (2002)
- Berlin International Film Festival: Golden Berlin Bear for Bordertown (2007)
See also
In Spanish: Gregory Nava para niños
