Celestino Gorostiza

Production

Born: January 31, 1904

Birthplace: Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico

Celestino Gorostiza (31 January 1904 – 11 January 1967) was a Mexican playwright, screenwriter, and film and theater director. Born in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, he studied in Aguascalientes and Mexico City before becoming involved in Mexico's theatrical avant-garde. In 1927, he co-founded the Teatro de Ulises with Salvador Novo and Xavier Villaurrutia, and in 1934 he founded the Teatro Orientación with Julio Bracho. He entered the film industry in 1935 as a production supervisor at CLASA Films, working on Let's Go with Pancho Villa. He later worked as a screenwriter and adapter before making his directorial debut with Naná (1943), starring Lupe Vélez. He subsequently directed Sinfonía de una vida (1945) and Ave de paso (1945), his final feature films. He also played an important role in the development of Mexico's film institutions, becoming a founding member of the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Sciences and Arts. Alongside his film career, he remained an influential playwright and cultural administrator, serving as director general of the National Institute of Fine Arts from 1958 to 1964. He died in Mexico City, Mexico, on 11 January 1967