Posted 8-5-06

World Renowned ‘Storyteller’ To Get Imagen’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Writer-director-producer Gregory Nava, who considers himself simply a ‘storyteller,’ has since the phenomenal success of his critically acclaimed film, El Norte become a major internationally renowned filmmaker.

Nava is best known for his 1984 film El Norte, which earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, as well as a Writers Guild of America Award nomination and a number of international awards. Adding to the fame of his film, El Norte was named an American Classic in 1996, and designated for special preservation by the Library of Congress.

That he would become a successful filmmaker was demonstrated early on, when as a film student at UCLA — where he earned his MFA degree — his short film, The Journal of Diego Rodriguez Silva (based on Garcia Lorca), won the Best Dramatic Film Award at the National Student Film Festival. His first feature film, The Confessions of Amans, was also a winner as the Best First Feature Award at the Chicago International Film Festival.

Since then Nava has produced a string of groundbreaking Latino films. In 1995, he co-wrote and directed the multi-generational saga My Family/Mi Familia, starring Edward James Olmos, Jimmy Smits, Esai Morales, and Jennifer Lopez in her first movie appearance. The following year, Nava and Lopez teamed up again when he directed her in the feature film Selena, which became a definitive breakout role for J.Lo, earning her a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of the slain Tejano superstar.

More recently, he directed Lopez (opposite Antonio Banderas) in the feature film, Bordertown, a political thriller he wrote based on true events surrounding the murders of the women of Juarez.

His film credits also include Why Do Fools Fall in Love, starring Halle Berry, Larenz Tate and Vivica Fox; and A Time of Destiny starring William Hurt, Timothy Hutton and Melissa Leo.

For the smaller screen, he is the creator and executive producer of the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated miniseries, American Family – Journey of Dreams, and is currently developing several feature films for his production company, El Norte Productions.

A previous Imagen Award recipient, Nava can lay claim to at least four. The first was in 1985 for El Norte, followed in 1998 for Selena. In 2003, Frida, (which he co-wrote) won for Best Film and in 2004, his critically acclaimed American Family was selected as the Primetime Series winner. In addition to three Alma Awards, Nava was awarded the prestigious Raul Julia Award by the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts and honored by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, at the Kennedy Center, for his contributions to the arts.

Selected by The Imagen Foundation as recipient of its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, Nava was the perfect choice. He is an extraordinary filmmaker whose groundbreaking works have taken the Latino community and its culture out of the shadows into the limelight. Nava’s stories, whether he writes them or directs them, always depict ordinary and universal human experiences that touch the heart, while at the same time reflect the commonalities between all peoples.

Nava will receive his award at the 21st Annual Imagen Awards Gala, August 18 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Click on “Imagen Awards” for a detailed list of all the finalists and for information regarding the upcoming event.

Imagen Award Winners Also Up for Emmys

Director/Choreographer Kenny Ortega, who will receive Imagen’s 2006 Creative Achievement Award, has been nominated for two Emmys this year. The first is for Best Choreography and the second for Outstanding Directing For a Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special for his work on the Disney-SaltyPictures/First Street Films, High School Musical, which aired on the Disney Channel.

Martin Sheen, recipient of Imagen’s 1998 Lifetime Achievement Award, and his son Charlie Sheen are both up for an Emmy on the same television series — Charlie for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal as Charlie Harper in the CBS comedy hit, Two And a Half Men (Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., The Tannenbaum Company in association with Warner Bros. Television Productions, a Division of WB Studio Enterprises Inc.), and Martin as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his guest role as Harvey.

Martin Sheen is also nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category for his portrayal as President Josiah Bartlet in NBC’s The West Wing (also up for an Emmy as Outstanding Drama Series), produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

John Wells Productions is receiving this year’s prestigious Norman Lear Award, and The West Wing is a two time Imagen Award winner (2000 & 2005).