Star Maps

Background:

"I like movies about people who are struggling with life and who have a lot of flaws. I like to bring humor and compassion to that. I like it when we can laugh at or own problems. I guess I like the unlikely heroes." Miguel Arteta

Starting out as a location coordinator assistant on Sidney Lumet's "Q&A" (1990) and a second assistant camera on Jonathan Demme's documentary “Cousin Bobby” (1991), Puerto Rican film director Miguel Arteta made his feature directorial and screen-writing debut with "Star Maps" (1997), which won him a National Board of Review award (Special Recognition; for Excellence in Filmmaking), as well as earned him two Independent Spirit Award nominations (for Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay) and one ALMA Award nomination (for Outstanding Latino Director of a Feature Film).

The AFI graduate director, who seemingly is drawn to dark material or characters who are outsiders, has helmed such films as "Chuck & Buck" (2000) and "The Good Girl" (2002). He also directed episodes of the TV series "Homicide: Life on the Street," "Freaks and Geeks," "Cracking Up," "Six Feet Under," "The Office," and "Ugly Betty."

The award-wining filmmaker is currently directing Michael Cera, Steve Buscemi, Jean Smart, and Ray Liotta in an upcoming feature film adaptation of the 1993 novel by C.D. Payne, "Youth in Revolt."

Spanish-Peruvian Heritage

Childhood and Family:

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1965 to a Spanish mother and a Peruvian father who worked as a Chrysler auto parts salesman, Miguel Arteta was raised in Puerto Rico and Costa Rica, where he was kicked out of high school. He was then taken by his sister to Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from The Cambridge School of Weston in Weston, Massachusetts, where he discovered his interest in filmmaking. He enrolled but later left Harvard University to study film at Wesleyan University, where he met future collaborators Matthew Greenfield and Mike White.

Following his graduation in 1989, Arteta worked as a location coordinator assistant on Sidney Lumet's crime film "Q & A" (1990; starring Nick Nolte, Timothy Hutton, and Armand Assante). Meanwhile, his musical short “Every Day Is a Beautiful Day,” (1990) premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and was nominated for a Student Academy Award. The work was shown to Jonathan Demme, who would later recruit Arteta to work as a second assistant camera on his documentary about his cousin, the Reverend Robert Castle, “Cousin Bobby” (1991). Demme also recommended Arteta for admission to American Film Institute's (AFI) graduate film program where he graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts degree

Youth in Revolt

Career:

One year after graduating from AFI, Miguel Arteta starred in David Barker's 5-minute short comedy film "Telephone" (1994). Two years later, he was invited to participate in the Sundance Institute Writer's Lab and worked on the script of "Ball and Chain" (1996) with Ron Nyswaner. In 1997, Arteta made his feature directorial and screenwriting debut with "Star Maps," starring Douglas Spain and Efrain Figueroa about the gap that exists between East and West Los Angeles as Latino kids try to pursue the American Dream. It received generally positive reviews and won a National Board of Review Special Recognition for Excellence in Filmmaking. It also earned him two Independent Spirit Award nominations (for Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay) and an ALMA Award nomination for Outstanding Latino Director of a Feature Film).

Following his debut, Arteta wrote and directed a short musical comedy titled "Livin' Thing" (1998). He would spent the rest of the decade directing several television projects, including the April 2, 1999, episode "Zen and the Art of Murder" of the NBC police procedural series "Homicide: Life on the Street" and multiple episodes of ABC’s comedy-drama television series "Snoops" (1999).

Entering the new millennium, Arteta created the digitally shot "Chuck & Buck" (2000). The film, which was scripted by and starred Mike White, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize (Dramatic). It also received nominations at the Gijón International Film Festival for Grand Prix Asturias - Best Feature, an Independent Spirit Award for Best Director, a Deauville Film Festival for Grand Special Prize, and an ALMA Award for Outstanding Director of a Feature Film. Additionally, the film won an award at the Independent Spirit Awards for Best Feature - Under $500,000. Arteta also directed an episode of NBC’s series "Freaks and Geeks," for which he was nominated for an ALMA Award for Outstanding Director of a Comedy Series.

"It's a dark comedy about a woman who works at a discount store. She is kind of bored and starts to hate her life and she does some funny and weird things to escape. She starts having an affair with a younger man and things get really complicated." Miguel Arteta (about his film "The Good Girl,” 2002)

He then teamed up again with writer Mike White for the romantic film "The Good Girl.” The movie is about a sad and lonely 30-year-old woman (played by Jennifer Aniston) unhappily married to a dope-smoking, infertile man (played by John C. Reilly) who strikes up an affair with a stock boy (played by Jake Gyllenhaal). It won the National Board of Review's Special Recognition (for Excellence in Filmmaking) and received nominations at the Deauville Film Festival for Grand Special Prize and the Gijón International Film Festival for Grand Prix Asturias - Best Feature.

On the small screen, Arteta directed the TV movie "Criminology 101" (2003), starring Busy Philipps and Marisa Coughlan, and the March 10, 2004, episode "Birds Do It" of the short-lived sitcom created by Mike White, "Cracking Up." He also directed three episodes of HBO’s critically acclaimed drama series "Six Feet Under” and appeared in small roles in David M. Rosenthal's comedy movie "See This Movie" (2004; starring John Cho and Seth Meyers) and Paul Weitz's romantic film "In Good Company" (2004; starring Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, and Scarlett Johansson).

In 2005, Arteta produced Michael Kang's directional debut feature, "The Motel," which is based on the novel "Waylaid" by Ed Lin. The coming-of-age film won the Humanitas Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. Also that year, he directed John C. Reilly and Mike White in the 4-minute short film "Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?”

Arteta was a member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006 and directed the episode "Diwali" of NBC’s Emmy winning sitcom "The Office" and the April 19, 2007, episode "Punch Out" of ABC’s hit comedy series starring America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty."

Recently, Arteta served as executive producer for M. Stewart Thorndike's 11-minute short drama film, "Tess and Nana" (2008), starring Emma Angeline and Celia Howard in the title roles. He is currently directing Michael Cera, Steve Buscemi, Jean Smart, and Ray Liotta in an upcoming feature film adaptation of the 1993 novel by C.D. Payne, "Youth in Revolt."

Awards:

• National Board of Review: Special Recognition (for Excellence in Filmmaking), "The Good Girl," 2002

• Independent Spirit Award: Best Feature - Under $500,000, "Chuck & Buck," 2001

• National Board of Review: Special Recognition (for Excellence in Filmmaking), "Star Maps," 1997