"Star Maps" (1997) mirrored Miguel Arteta's own observations about desperation in Hollywood absorbed while a student at the American Film Institute, He spent four years raising money and shooting this film about a young Latino with dreams of becoming a movie star, who is forced into prostitution by his own father. Premiering out of competition at the Sundance Film Festival, "Star Maps" was purchased by Fox Searchlight and opened later in the year amid much publicity, if not gushing critical acclaim. In the long run, though the film proved to be a bit of a financial disappointment for the studio.The son of a Peruvian father and Spanish mother, Arteta was born in Puerto Rico and spent his teenage years in Costa Rica. He moved to the USA to attend college, where he began making films, including the short "Every Day Is a Beautiful Day", a satire of Hollywood musicals. Arteta then entered the world of filmmaking as a location assistant on Sidney Lumet's "Q & A" (1990) and as a second camera assistant to Jonathan Demme on the documentary "Cousin Bobby" (1991), before heading to Los Angeles to study at the American Film Institute (AFI). Feeling alienated as a Latino and disenchanted with the atmosphere at AFI, which Arteta perceived as full of insiders and/or people willing to sell their mother's souls to make a film, Arteta chose instead to make a film with Latino characters who weren't stereotypical, "Star Maps". After making the film Arteta told the Village Voice he was taking time off to become "aware of my Latin heritage and the pain that that entails".
Profession(s):
director
Sometimes Credited As:
Education
Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts
Wesleyan University Middletown, Connecticut BA film 1989
American Film Institute Los Angeles, California directing 1993
Independent Spirit Award Best Feature - Under $500,000 "Chuck & Buck" 2001
2000 Second feature, the digitally shot "Chuck & Buck", scripted by and starring Mike White; premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
1997 Feature directorial and screenwriting debut, "Star Maps"
1996 Invited to participate in the Sundance Institute Writer's Lab; worked on a script "Ball and Chain" with Ron Nyswaner
1993 Directed AFI thesis film "Lucky Peach"
1991 Worked as a second camera assistant to Jonathan Demme on "Cousin Bobby"
1990 Short film, "Every Day is a Beautiful Day" premiered at Berlin Film Festival; also nominated for a student Academy Award
1990 Was location coordinator assistant on Sidney Lumet's "Q & A"
Raised in Puerto Rico and Costa Rica
Reteamed with White on "The Good Girl" (lensed 2001)