David Arata is a multifaceted creative force, excelling as a screenwriter, writer, director, and producer. Born and raised outside of San Francisco, he developed his artistic inclinations at The University of California at Santa Cruz, where he majestically balanced studies in painting, photography, and theater, while crafting experimental films in the vein of cinematic visionaries Robert Frank and Jean-Luc Godard.
Upon graduating with a degree in film, Arata further honed his skills at the American Film Institute, concentrating on the art of screenwriting. His impressive screenwriting debut in 1999, Brokedown Palace, starring Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale, set the stage for a successful career.
Arata is perhaps most renowned for his work on Children of Men (2006),a critically acclaimed film starring Clive Owen and Julianne Moore, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay. His additional credits include the suspenseful Spy Game (2001),featuring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt, and The Angel (2018),starring Marwan Kenzari, Toby Kebbell, and Hannah Ware.
As of October 2018, David Arata is attached to a diverse array of active projects, including the films Bend (writer, director) and Prometheans (writer, director),as well as the television series Dreamland (writer, creator, executive producer),From Hell (TV series, writer, creator, executive producer, based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell),Rio (TV series, writer, creator, executive producer),and others.
In addition to his accomplishments in Hollywood, David Arata serves as a creative advisor at the Sundance Film Institute's screenwriting lab, utilizing his expertise to nurture the next generation of screenwriters. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Kathy.
