Profiles: Jorge Navas | Proimágenes Colombia

Born in Cali in 1973. Began exploring the world of images at age 19, guided by his experimental instinct and poetic sense. Studied Social Communications at the Universidad del Valle in the city of Cali and has spent his career exploring different genres and formats, from experimental video to advertising, documentaries and fiction. Colombian critics and press describe him as one of the national scene’s up-and-coming talents based on his extensive and varied filmography and national and international awards.
 
He began his professional career working as a director for television programs such as Rostros y rastros and Rayuela produced by Universidad del Valle Televisión. He also worked on several personal projects as part of the Ojo Tachado collective, responsible for the Envíciate a la vida advertising campaign. In 1996, Navas won a Colcultura grant for an experimental adaptation of Andrés Caicedo’s underground cult classic Calicalabozo. In 1997, he moved to Bogotá where he directed advertising spots for Laberinto Producciones. In 1999, he wrote and directed the short film Alguien mató algo o la última inocencia, winner of the Cinemateca Distrital competition in 1999, a Catalina at the 2000 Cartagena International Film Festival, two awards at the 2001 Clermont Ferrand Festival (Prix Recherche and Prix de la Jeunnese) and Honorable Mention at the 2004 New York Latino Film Festival.
 
In 2003, Navas began work on the screenplay for La sangre y la lluvia and created Pateofeofilms with Carolina Barrera and Santiago Tobón, a production company focusing on development and funding for this film and Carlos Moreno’s Perro come perro.
 
His many documentaries include Rubén Darío: el poeta de la triste figura and Apocalipsis, Cali Rock (1994), Olor a Pueblo y Cemento, Asfalto, Cal y Rock (1995), Enterrar a los muertos (1996) and La señora de los televisores (2005).

In 2019 he released commercially in the United States We are the heat  acquired by HBO and in the same year the Colombian Film Festival in Berlin made a retrospective of his work.
 
Navas has participated in a number of seminars on subjects such as esthetic theory and audiovisual analysis and has sat on juries at national and international festivals, competitions and events. He has trained students in screenwriting and directing and has worked with Colombian majors Caracol and Teleset. From 1996 to 2005 he developed more than 250 commercials in Colombia and the region for clients such as: American Express, Pantene, Aquafresh, Mc Donald´s, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Aguila Beer, the President’s Office, the Ministry of Defense, Kellogs, Canal Caracol, Sky Televisión and Ariel. He also directed music videos for major Colombian artists La pestilencia, Sidestepper, Fonseca and Naty Botero.
 
Navas was the Directors’ Representative for the PROIMAGENES Colombia Board of Directors, nominated by the New Filmmakers’ Association EL TRICICLO. He shot his first feature film La sangre y la lluvia in October of 2010.