Gregory Nava facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregory Nava
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Nava in 2025
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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 is an American filmmaker. He is known for directing, producing, and writing movies and TV shows. He was born on April 10, 1949.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gregory Nava was born in San Diego, California. His family has Mexican and Basque roots. He went to St. Augustine High School in San Diego. Later, he studied film at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He earned a special degree in fine arts in 1976. While at UCLA, he directed a short film called The Journal of Diego Rodriguez Silva. This film won the Best Dramatic Film Award at a national student film festival.
Family Life
Gregory Nava married Anna Thomas in 1975. They worked together on many film projects. They had two sons, Christopher and Teddy. They divorced in 2006. In 2013, Nava married Barbara Martinez.
Early Film Success
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 after his film El Norte became a success. He and his wife, Anna Thomas, were even nominated for an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for El Norte. In 1995, this film was chosen for the Library of Congress's National Film Registry. This means it was recognized as an important movie. Film critic Roger Ebert said El Norte was like The Grapes of Wrath for its time.
Working with Anna Thomas
Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas worked together on several films. These include The Confessions of Amans, A Time of Destiny, My Family, and Frida. For Frida, Anna Thomas helped write the screenplay.
Directing Selena
In 1997, Nava had another big directing success with the movie Selena. This film starred Jennifer Lopez.
Television Work
From 2003 to 2004, Gregory Nava was an executive producer for a TV series called American Family: Journey of Dreams. This show was for PBS. He also directed some episodes of the series.
Bordertown Film
In 2006, Nava produced, wrote, and directed the film Bordertown. It was shown for the first time at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2007. The movie is a thriller based on real events. It tells a story about unsolved murders in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Jennifer Lopez starred in the film as a reporter from Chicago. The movie was filmed in New Mexico and Mexico.
Movies and TV Shows
Films 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 Series
- The 20th Century: American Tapestry (1999, a documentary)
- American Family (2002–2004)
Awards and Nominations
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)
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 (2002)
- Berlin International Film Festival: Golden Berlin Bear for Bordertown (2007)
See also
In Spanish: Gregory Nava para niños
