Personal details
- Birth Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
- Children: (2 children) Alma Ness Newman Nattiv
- Professions: Writer, Director, Producer
Guy Nattiv’s one of those filmmakers who just sort of explodes onto the scene and refuses to leave. Dude snagged an Oscar for his first American short, “Skin”—yeah, the one from 2019. It basically swept through over 300 festivals, which is just bonkers, and let’s not forget he’s only the second Israeli to ever win an Academy Award. That’s kinda wild, right? Anyway, he didn’t stop there. He stretched “Skin” into a feature with Jamie Bell, Vera Farmiga, and Danielle Macdonald, and people actually paid attention—it premiered at TIFF and even won the Fipresci Critics Prize. A24 and Voltage picked it up for global distribution in 2019, so you know it had that indie cool factor. Fast-forward a bit, and Guy’s directing “Golda” with Helen Mirren playing Golda Meir—yeah, the iconic Israeli Prime Minister, smack in the middle of the Yom Kippur war mess. That thing got a Berlin premiere and Bleecker Street pushed it out in 2023. Not bad, huh? But here’s where it gets really interesting: his latest film, “Tatami,” dropped at the Venice International Film Festival in 2023 and people just ate it up. Won two awards in Tokyo, too. The wildest part? He co-directed it with Zar Amir Ibrahim—a Cannes Best Actress winner from Iran. First time ever an Israeli and Iranian filmmaker teamed up, and they had to shoot in secret in Tbilisi, Georgia. Risky, but kinda epic. Nowadays, Guy’s based in LA, running New Native Pictures with his wife Jaime Ray Newman. Busy guy, to say the least.
Guy Nattiv and his wife Jaime Ray Newman snagged their first Oscar on February 24, 2019, which honestly, is pretty wild if you think about it. They walked up on that shiny stage for their short film Skin—a tight, 20-minute punch in the gut about racism in America. The film doesn’t pull any punches. It digs right into the ugliness of prejudice, showing how hatred gets passed around like some poisoned family heirloom. You watch these characters make choices, some brutal, some heartbreaking, and there’s this constant tension that never really lets up. Skin doesn’t waste time with sugarcoating or long-winded speeches; it just throws you into the mess and makes you sit with it. It’s the kind of story that leaves you squirming but you can’t look away. No surprise the Academy noticed—who could ignore something that raw?
Konidela Ram Charan
Tel Aviv, Israel
Yes, Alma Ness Newman Nattiv