Patricia Riggen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patricia Riggen
Riggen at the 2015 AFI Fest
Born	(1970-06-02) June 2, 1970 (age 55) Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Alma mater	Columbia University
Occupation	Film director, film producer, screenwriter
Years active	1997–present
Style	Drama • Action • Thriller
Spouse(s)	Checco Varese
Children	1

Patricia Riggen (born June 2, 1970) is a talented film director from Mexico. She is well-known for directing movies like Under the Same Moon (2007) and the popular Disney Channel film Lemonade Mouth (2011). She has directed many films and TV shows that tell powerful human stories.

Early life and career beginnings

Patricia Riggen was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. When she was younger, she gained experience in journalism. This meant she learned how to report news and write for documentaries. Documentaries are films that show real-life events or facts.

She earned a degree in Communication Sciences from ITESO, a university in Guadalajara. For her final project, she wrote about "Female Directors." This allowed her to interview the four most important female film directors in Mexico at that time.

Before she became a director, Patricia had many different jobs. She wrote for a local newspaper in Guadalajara. She also worked for a film producer and did research for a documentary. In the late 1990s, she worked at the Mexican Film Institute. She realized then that she wanted to go back to school to learn more about filmmaking.

Patricia moved to New York City to study. She earned a master's degree in directing and screenwriting from Columbia University. Screenwriting is the art of writing scripts for films. She learned to write and direct her own short films. Since English was not her first language, she often wrote movies without much talking.

While at Columbia, she directed two short films. These were The Cornfield (2002) and Family Portrait (2004). The Cornfield won several awards at film festivals. Family Portrait also won a special prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Patricia never thought she would become a director. She felt the chances were very small, like becoming an astronaut! But after directing one small project, she found her true path.

Directing career

In 2007, Patricia Riggen directed her first big movie, Under the Same Moon. It starred famous actors Kate del Castillo and America Ferrera. Patricia worked with writer Ligiah Villabobos on this film. Both women were born in Mexico and moved to the United States. They were very passionate about telling this story.

Under the Same Moon received funding from both the Mexican government and American investors. The film was very popular at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. It also won several awards, including Best Director and Best Film at the Imagen Foundation Awards in 2008.

In 2010, Patricia was chosen to direct the Disney Channel movie Lemonade Mouth. This film was a huge hit! Over 7 million people watched it on its first night. Patricia's work on this movie was even nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award.

She continued to direct more feature films. Her next movies included Revolución (2010) and Girl in Progress (2012). Girl in Progress starred Eva Mendes and Patricia Arquette. Patricia hoped this movie, about a young girl growing up, would appeal to many different audiences.

Patricia's next big film was The 33 (2015). This movie was based on the true story of the 2010 Copiapó mining accident in Chile. In this event, 33 miners were trapped underground. The movie was filmed in real salt mines in Colombia and the Atacama Desert in Chile. Patricia wanted the actors and crew to truly understand what it was like to be a miner.

In 2016, she directed Miracles from Heaven. This film starred Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah. It was based on a true story about a young girl's miraculous recovery from illness. Patricia Riggen was the only Latina woman director in 12 years (as of 2016) to have a movie appear in the top 100 annual box office films.

In 2018, Patricia started directing for television. She directed three episodes of the Amazon TV series Jack Ryan. This show is an action-packed political thriller. Patricia enjoyed exploring new types of stories and action scenes in TV.

Influences, style and themes

Many of Patricia Riggen's films focus on real human experiences. They are often full of emotion and connect deeply with the audience. In 2005, when she was starting her career, she said she wanted to "take the audience on a journey and make them feel things." Her films are very successful at doing this.

Under the Same Moon tells the story of families separated by immigration. It follows a young boy named Carlitos who crosses the U.S.-Mexico border. He is searching for his mother, who works in Los Angeles. The film is known for grabbing your heart and telling a sensitive story.

In Miracles From Heaven, we see another touching story. It is based on the true healing of a 10-year-old girl. This film helps people believe in the everyday "miracles" that happen in life.

The 33 is a powerful drama about the 2010 Chilean mining collapse. It shows how 33 miners were trapped underground for 69 days. Critics said the film was expertly directed and would "touch your heart."

In the media

Women's activism

Patricia Riggen strongly encourages women to work in the film industry. She believes women deserve to be in leadership roles, especially as directors. She said that more women in leadership create more jobs for women everywhere. She also believes this helps people of color get more opportunities.

Riggen supports the #LatinaEqualPay movement. This movement fights for equal pay for Latina women. She shares on social media that Latinas should not be paid less. She believes denying them fair pay hurts families, the economy, and the entire country.

Personal life

Patricia Riggen lives in Los Angeles. She is married to Checco Varese, who is a cinematographer. A cinematographer is the person in charge of photography and lighting in a film. They have one daughter. Checco Varese has worked as the cinematographer for all of Patricia's films since Under the Same Moon.

Filmography

Film

Television (selected)

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Patricia Riggen para niños