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| caption = Salva in 2000
| caption = Salva in 2000
| birth_date = {{bda|March 29, 1958}}
| birth_date = {{bda|March 29, 1958}}
| birth_name = Victor Ronald Salva<ref name="sex offender" />
| birth_place = [[Martinez, California]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Martinez, California]], U.S.
| spouse =
| spouse =
| years_active = 1986–present
| years_active = 1986–present
⚫
| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|screenwriter}}
| awards = Moxie! Award for Best Feature – Santa Monica Film Festival<br />1999 ''[[Rites of Passage (1999 film)|Rites of Passage]]''
⚫
| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|screenwriter|[[sex offender]]}}
}}
}}
'''Victor Ronald Salva''' (born March 29, 1958)<ref name="sex offender" >{{cite web |title=Sexual Offenders and Predators Search |url=https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/sops/flyer.jsf?personId=23464&x=ec977753-1c86-4cdc-af10-5197bdecd142 |publisher=Florida Department of Law Enforcement |access-date=24 October 2023}}</ref> is an American filmmaker and convicted [[sex offender]].<ref name="Welkos"/> The self-described [[protégé]] of [[Francis Ford Coppola]], he has primarily worked in the horror genre, most notably as the writer-director of the commercially successful ''[[Jeepers Creepers (2001 film)|Jeepers Creepers]]'' (2001) and its sequels ''[[Jeepers Creepers 2]]'' (2003) and ''[[Jeepers Creepers 3]]'' (2017). Outside of horror, Salva wrote and directed the fantasy-drama film ''[[Powder (1995 film)|Powder]]'' (1995). Salva's filmmaking career has been controversial due to his 1988 conviction for sexually abusing a 12-year-old actor who starred in his feature film debut ''[[Clownhouse]]'' (1989) and videotaping the encounter, along with possessing [[child pornography]], having been publicised in 2006. This has led to protests against his films, including a boycott of ''Powder'' organized by his victim.
'''Victor Ronald Salva''' (born March 29, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter, and convicted [[sex offender]]. The self-described [[protégé]] of [[Francis Ford Coppola]], he is best known for writing and directing the [[horror film|horror]] films ''[[Jeepers Creepers (2001 film)|Jeepers Creepers]]'' (2001), ''[[Jeepers Creepers 2]]'' (2003), and ''[[Jeepers Creepers 3]]'' (2017).

Salva's career has been controversial due to [[#Child sexual abuse|his 1988 conviction]] for sexually abusing Nathan Forrest Winters, the 12-year-old star of his debut feature film ''[[Clownhouse]]'' (1989), during its production; he also videotaped one of the encounters and was found to possess [[child pornography]], though this was not publicized until 2006. Protests against his films soon followed, including boycotts organized by Winters. Despite this, he has continued to work in the industry and has made the films ''[[Powder (1995 film)|Powder]]'' (1995), ''[[Peaceful Warrior]]'' (2006), ''[[Rosewood Lane]]'' (2011), and ''[[Dark House (2014 film)|Dark House]]'' (2014).


==Early life==
==Early life==
Born in [[Martinez, California]], Salva was raised as a [[Roman Catholic]].<ref name="Goldstein">{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jun/11/entertainment/ca-salva11|title=Victor Salva's horror stories|last=Goldstein|first=Patrick|date=June 11, 2006|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|page=3|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> His biological father abandoned the family and Salva stated that his stepfather was an alcoholic and physically abusive.<ref name="Goldstein"/>
Victor Ronald Salva was born in [[Martinez, California]], on March 29, 1958.<ref name="sex offender" >{{cite web |title=Sexual Offenders and Predators Search |url=https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/sops/flyer.jsf?personId=23464&x=ec977753-1c86-4cdc-af10-5197bdecd142 |publisher=Florida Department of Law Enforcement |access-date=24 October 2023}}</ref> He was raised [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]].<ref name="Goldstein">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-11-ca-salva11-story.html|title=Victor Salva's horror stories|last=Goldstein|first=Patrick|date=June 11, 2006|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|page=3|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> His biological father abandoned the family, and he has said that his stepfather was a physically abusive alcoholic.<ref name="Goldstein"/> Salva was interested in horror and science fiction as a youngster; his favorite monster movie was ''[[Creature from the Black Lagoon]]'', and the local newspaper reported in 1975 that the 17-year-old Salva had gone to the cinema to see ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' 55 times.<ref name="Pierce">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/callingtheshots/victor_salva.shtml|title=Getting Direct With Directors... No.12: Victor Salva|last=Pierce|first=Nev|publisher=BBC|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> His family disowned him when he [[coming out|came out]] as [[gay]] at age 18.<ref name="Goldstein"/> He was a childcare worker before becoming a filmmaker.<ref name="Welkos">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-25-me-60848-story.html|url-access=limited |title=Disney Movie's Director a Convicted Child Molester: Hollywood: He says, 'I paid for my mistakes dearly', but victim of incident several years ago urges boycott of 'Powder'.|last=Welkos|first=Robert|date=October 25, 1995|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref>

The adolescent Salva was very interested in horror and sci-fi; his favorite monster movie was ''[[Creature from the Black Lagoon]]'' and, in 1975, the local newspaper reported that Salva had sat through ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' 55 times.<ref name="Pierce">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/callingtheshots/victor_salva.shtml|title=Getting Direct With Directors... No.12: Victor Salva|last=Pierce|first=Nev|publisher=BBC|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> By the time he graduated from high school, Salva had written and directed more than 20 short and feature films. To finance his filmmaking hobby, he often held two jobs during the week.<ref name="Tribute">{{cite web|url=http://www.tribute.ca/people/victor-salva/6923/|title=Victor Salva biography|publisher=Tribute Entertainment Media Group|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> Salva's family disowned him at 18 when he [[coming out|came out]] as [[gay]] to his mother and stepfather.<ref name="Goldstein"/> Salva was a child-care worker at some point before becoming a filmmaker.<ref name="Welkos">{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1995-10-25/local/me-60848_1_child-molester|url-access=limited |title=Disney Movie's Director a Convicted Child Molester: Hollywood: He says, 'I paid for my mistakes dearly', but victim of incident several years ago urges boycott of 'Powder'.|last=Welkos|first=Robert|date=October 25, 1995|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref>

== Early career ==
In the mid-1980s, his 37-minute short film ''Something in the Basement'' (1986) took first place in the fiction category at the Sony/AFI Home Video Competition. A horror allegory about a young boy awaiting his brother's return from a bloody war, the highly acclaimed film went on to win several national awards (including a Bronze Plaque at the Chicago [[International Film Festival]]) and brought Salva to the attention of [[Francis Ford Coppola]], who then produced Salva's first theatrical feature, ''[[Clownhouse]]'' (1989), which Salva again wrote and directed, with Salva becoming Coppola's [[protégé]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Goldstein|first=Patrick|title=Victor Salva's horror stories|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-11-ca-salva11-story.html|access-date=11 June 2006|newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|date=11 June 2006|quote=Just before Salva went to prison, he spoke to [his mentor] Coppola, who told him the experience would have value. “Francis said, ‘It will make you a better artist,’” Salva recalls. “He left out one important part –– if you survive it.”}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Child|first=Ben|title=Actors warned to avoid new horror film from convicted paedophile director Victor Salva|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/29/actors-warned-to-avoid-paedophile-director-victor-salva-jeepers-creepers-3|access-date=29 March 2016|newspaper=[[TheGuardian.com]]|date=29 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kamal|first=Nathan|title=A Controversial Jeff Goldblum Sci-Fi Film Is Streaming Now|url=https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/jeff-goldblum-sci-fi-streaming-powder.html|access-date=12 August 2022|newspaper=Giant Freakin Robot|date=12 August 2022|quote=''[[Powder (1995 film)|Powder]]'' was written and directed by Victor Salva, who had once been a burgeoning filmmaking talent hand-picked by [[Francis Ford Coppola]] as a [[protégé]]. Salva caught Coppola’s eye with the horror short ''Something in the Basement''; the [[The Godfather|''Godfather'']] director would produce his first theatrical film ''[[Clownhouse]]'', reportedly even giving him the same camera [[George Lucas]] had shot ''[[American Graffiti]]'' with.}}</ref>

⚫
== Child sexual abuse and child pornography ==
⚫
In 1988, Salva was convicted of [[sexual misconduct]] with one of ''Clownhouse''{{'}}s underage stars, who was 12 years old at the time, and videotaping one of the encounters in which he forced the victim to perform oral sex on him.<ref name="Welkos" /> Commercial videotapes and magazines containing [[child pornography]] were also found in his home.<ref name="Welkos"/> Salva pleaded guilty to lewd and lascivious conduct, [[oral sex]] with a person under fourteen, and procuring a child for pornography.<ref name="Welkos"/><ref name="Gallagher">{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L2QEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA25|title=A fairy-tale ending|last=Gallagher|first=John|date=November 28, 1995|work=The Advocate|page=25|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> He was sentenced to three years in state prison, of which he served 15 months, and lifetime registration as a sex offender.<ref name="Pierce"/> He completed his parole in 1992.<ref name="Gallagher"/>

== Later career ==
Salva's career took a hiatus after his release – he did not make another film for two and a half years. He worked as a [[telemarketer]] during the week and wrote scripts during the weekend, supposedly delivering them to well-known producers while posing as a delivery boy.<ref name="Goldstein"/>

His next film was ''[[The Nature of the Beast (1995 film)|The Nature of the Beast]]'' (1995), a [[direct-to-video]] [[Mystery film|mystery]] [[horror film]] which Salva wrote and directed. It starred [[Lance Henriksen]] and [[Eric Roberts]]. Salva based the film's characters on people he met in prison.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

Salva next made his first big-studio picture, ''[[Powder (1995 film)|Powder]]'' (1995), the tale of an albino boy with special powers that make him an outcast. At the time of the film's release, Salva's conviction became known to the public when his victim came forward, calling for the film's boycott. Disney officials stated that they had been informed of Salva's crime only after production of ''Powder'' had begun.<ref name="Welkos"/> When asked about the controversy surrounding ''Powder'', Salva said, "This has followed me around ever since it happened, but once people meet me the phantoms go away and they realize I made a stupid mistake, years ago. ... My past is going to follow me around for as long as people want to talk about it."<ref name="Young" /> His victim, Nathan Forrest Winters, later released a documentary detailing the sexual abuse by Salva, which began when Winters was 7 years old following a year of grooming.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M9ATFAYsEk|title=Former Child Actor Nathan Forrest Winters - Full Interview|medium = Youtube}}</ref>


== Career ==
Salva next made ''[[Rites of Passage (1999 film)|Rites of Passage]]'' (1999), a coming-of-age thriller. The film depicts a [[homophobia|homophobic]] father who unwittingly pushes his gay son into the arms of a psychotic killer.
By the time Salva graduated from high school, he had written and directed over 20 films, both short and feature-length. To finance his filmmaking hobby, he often held two jobs during the week.<ref name="Tribute">{{cite web|url=http://www.tribute.ca/people/victor-salva/6923/|title=Victor Salva biography|publisher=Tribute Entertainment Media Group|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> His short horror film ''Something in the Basement'' (1986), an allegory about a young boy awaiting his brother's return from a bloody war, took first place in the fiction category at that year's Sony/AFI Home Video Competition. The highly acclaimed film went on to win several national awards (including a Bronze Plaque at the Chicago [[International Film Festival]]) and brought Salva to the attention of [[Francis Ford Coppola]], who then agreed to produce ''[[Clownhouse]]'' (1989), the first theatrical feature film Salva wrote and directed. Coppola reportedly saw so much potential in Salva that he gave him the same cameras he had given [[George Lucas]] for the production of ''[[American Graffiti]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kamal|first=Nathan|title=A Controversial Jeff Goldblum Sci-Fi Film Is Streaming Now|url=https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/jeff-goldblum-sci-fi-streaming-powder.html|access-date=12 August 2022|newspaper=Giant Freakin Robot|date=12 August 2022}}</ref> Salva would go on to describe himself as Coppola's [[protégé]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Child|first=Ben|title=Actors warned to avoid new horror film from convicted paedophile director Victor Salva|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/29/actors-warned-to-avoid-paedophile-director-victor-salva-jeepers-creepers-3|access-date=29 March 2016|newspaper=[[TheGuardian.com]]|date=29 March 2016}}</ref>


Following [[#Child sexual abuse|his 1988 conviction]] for sexually abusing Nathan Forrest Winters, the 12-year-old star of ''Clownhouse'', Salva took a hiatus after his release from prison in 1992; he worked as a [[telemarketer]] during the week and wrote scripts during the weekend, supposedly delivering them to well-known producers while posing as a delivery boy.<ref name="Goldstein"/> His next film came when he wrote and directed the [[direct-to-video]] mystery horror film ''[[The Nature of the Beast (1995 film)|The Nature of the Beast]]'' (1995). He reportedly based the film's characters on people he met in prison.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}} He then wrote and directed his first major studio film, the fantasy drama film ''[[Powder (1995 film)|Powder]]'' (1995), about an albino boy with special powers that make him an outcast. At the time of the film's release, Salva's conviction became known to the public when Winters came forward and called for the film's boycott. Disney stated that they had been informed of Salva's crime only after production of ''Powder'' had begun.<ref name="Welkos"/> Salva said, "This has followed me around ever since it happened, but once people meet me the phantoms go away and they realize I made a stupid mistake, years ago. [...] My past is going to follow me around for as long as people want to talk about it."<ref name="Young" />
In 2001, Salva wrote and directed ''[[Jeepers Creepers (2001 film)|Jeepers Creepers]]'', executive produced by his mentor [[Francis Ford Coppola]], which was a breakout hit and set a record for the largest [[Labor Day]] box-office ever,<ref name=Open>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/laborday.htm?page=LABDAY&p=.htm All Time Box Office – Top 4-Day Labor Day Opening Weekends: 1982–Present]. ''[[Box Office Mojo]]''. Retrieved May 25, 2016.</ref> followed in 2003 by ''[[Jeepers Creepers 2]]'', again executive produced by Coppola.


Salva's next film after ''Jeepers Creepers 2'' was ''[[Peaceful Warrior]]'' (2006), an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical book ''[[Way of the Peaceful Warrior]]'' by [[Dan Millman]]. The film depicts the emotional and physical trials of a young gymnast and his awakening under the tutelage of a mysterious spiritual guide portrayed by [[Nick Nolte]]. He then returned to the horror-thriller and supernatural powers themes for his films ''[[Rosewood Lane]]'' (2011) and ''[[Dark House (2014 film)|Dark House]]'' (2014).
Salva next wrote and directed the coming-of-age thriller film ''[[Rites of Passage (1999 film)|Rites of Passage]]'' (1999), which depicts a [[homophobia|homophobic]] father who unwittingly pushes his gay son into the arms of a psychotic killer. He then wrote and directed ''[[Jeepers Creepers (2001 film)|Jeepers Creepers]]'' (2001), which Coppola executive produced; it became a breakout hit and set a record for the largest [[Labor Day]] box office ever.<ref name=Open>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/laborday.htm?page=LABDAY&p=.htm All Time Box Office – Top 4-Day Labor Day Opening Weekends: 1982–Present]. ''[[Box Office Mojo]]''. Retrieved May 25, 2016.</ref> He followed it up with ''[[Jeepers Creepers 2]]'' (2003), again executive produced by Coppola. His next film was ''[[Peaceful Warrior]]'' (2006), an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical book ''[[Way of the Peaceful Warrior]]'' by [[Dan Millman]]. The film depicts the emotional and physical trials of a young gymnast and his awakening under the tutelage of a mysterious spiritual guide. He then returned to the horror genre for his films ''[[Rosewood Lane]]'' (2011) and ''[[Dark House (2014 film)|Dark House]]'' (2014).


In 2017, Salva wrote, directed, and produced the third installment of the ''Jeepers Creepers'' franchise, ''[[Jeepers Creepers 3]]'', again executive produced by Coppola. The release drew controversy for incorporating a character who was the victim of child molestation.<ref name=IndieWire>{{cite web|title=''Jeepers Creepers 3''|date=2017|publisher=[[IndieWire]]|url=https://indiewire.com/2017/09/jeepers-creepers-3-victor-salva-pedophile-molestation-plot-details-1201881375/}}</ref> Dialogue that suggested justification for the molestation was later cut from the film.<ref>{{cite web|date=2017|title=''Jeepers Creepers'' 3 Review|publisher=[[IGN]]|url=https://ign.com/articles/2017/09/27/jeepers-creepers-3-review}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Verhoeven |first1=Beatrice |title='Jeepers Creepers 3' Director Victor Salva, Convicted Child Molester, Wrote Child Molestation Into New Film |url=https://www.thewrap.com/jeepers-creepers-3-victor-salva-child-molester-child-molestation-powder/ |website=The Wrap |date=September 29, 2017 |access-date=11 March 2024}}</ref>
Salva wrote, directed, and produced ''[[Jeepers Creepers 3]]'' (2017), which drew controversy for incorporating a character who was the victim of child sexual abuse.<ref name=IndieWire>{{cite web|title=''Jeepers Creepers 3''|date=2017|publisher=[[IndieWire]]|url=https://indiewire.com/2017/09/jeepers-creepers-3-victor-salva-pedophile-molestation-plot-details-1201881375/}}</ref> Dialogue that suggested justification for the abuse was later cut from the film.<ref>{{cite web|date=2017|title=''Jeepers Creepers'' 3 Review|publisher=[[IGN]]|url=https://ign.com/articles/2017/09/27/jeepers-creepers-3-review}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Verhoeven |first1=Beatrice |title='Jeepers Creepers 3' Director Victor Salva, Convicted Child Molester, Wrote Child Molestation Into New Film |url=https://www.thewrap.com/jeepers-creepers-3-victor-salva-child-molester-child-molestation-powder/ |website=The Wrap |date=September 29, 2017 |access-date=11 March 2024}}</ref> Salva has described his films as "atmospheric and macabre, with no happy endings, but not to be taken totally seriously".<ref name="Young">{{cite web|url=http://www.jigsawlounge.co.uk/film/reviews/neil-youngs-film-lounge-victor-salva-interview/|title=Neil Young's Film Lounge - Victor Salva Interview|last=Young|first=Neil|date=March 23, 2004|publisher=Neil Young's Film Lounge|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref>


⚫
== Child sexual abuse ==
Salva described his films in 2001 as "atmospheric and macabre, with no happy endings, but not to be taken totally seriously".<ref name="Young">{{cite web|url=http://www.jigsawlounge.co.uk/film/reviews/neil-youngs-film-lounge-victor-salva-interview/|title=Neil Young's Film Lounge - Victor Salva Interview|last=Young|first=Neil|date=March 23, 2004|publisher=Neil Young's Film Lounge|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref>
⚫
Salva was convicted of [[sexual misconduct]] in 1988 for sexually abusing Nathan Forrest Winters, the 12-year-old star of ''Clownhouse'', and videotaping one of the encounters in which he forced Winters to perform [[oral sex]] on him.<ref name="Welkos" /> Commercial videotapes and magazines containing [[child pornography]] were also found in his home.<ref name="Welkos"/> He pleaded guilty to lewd and lascivious conduct, oral sex with a person under 14, and procuring a child for pornography.<ref name="Welkos"/><ref name="Gallagher">{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L2QEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA25|title=A fairy-tale ending|last=Gallagher|first=John|date=November 28, 1995|work=The Advocate|page=25|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> He was sentenced to three years in state prison, of which he served 15 months, and lifetime registration as a [[sex offender]].<ref name="Pierce"/> He completed his parole in 1992.<ref name="Gallagher"/> His mentor, [[Francis Ford Coppola]], reportedly told him that his experience in prison "would have value" and "make [him] a better artist".<ref>{{cite news|last=Goldstein|first=Patrick|title=Victor Salva's horror stories|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-11-ca-salva11-story.html|access-date=11 June 2006|newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|date=11 June 2006}}</ref> Winters later [[picketing|picketed]] Salva's film premieres and released a documentary detailing the abuse by Salva, which began when Winters was seven years old following a year of [[Sexual grooming|grooming]].<ref>{{cite AV media |url-status = live |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20240820/1M9ATFAYsEk |archive-date = 2024-08-20| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M9ATFAYsEk |title=Former Child Actor Nathan Forrest Winters - Full Interview |website = [[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}} </ref>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Year
! Title
! Title
! width=65 | Director
! Director
! width=65 | Writer
! Writer
! width=65 | Producer
! Producer
! Notes
! class="unsortable"|Notes
|-
|-
| 1986
| 1986
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{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Salva, Victor Ronald}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salva, Victor}}
[[Category:1950s births]]
[[Category:1950s births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:American people convicted of child pornography offenses]]
[[Category:American people convicted of child pornography offenses]]
[[Category:American people convicted of child sexual abuse]]
[[Category:American people convicted of child sexual abuse]]
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[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of California]]
[[Category:Criminals from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Criminals from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:LGBT people from California]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from California]]
[[Category:American gay entertainers]]
[[Category:American gay entertainers]]
[[Category:American gay writers]]
[[Category:American gay writers]]
[[Category:Gay screenwriters]]
[[Category:Gay screenwriters]]
[[Category:LGBT Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:LGBTQ Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:American LGBT screenwriters]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ screenwriters]]
[[Category:Film directors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Film directors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Catholics from California]]
[[Category:Catholics from California]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from California]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from California]]
[[Category:People from Palmdale, California]]
[[Category:People from Palmdale, California]]
[[Category:American LGBT film directors]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ film directors]]
[[Category:Child sexual abuse in the United States]]

Latest revision as of 04:01, 1 December 2024

Victor Salva
Salva in 2000
Born (1958-03-29) March 29, 1958 (age 66)
Martinez, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active1986–present

Victor Ronald Salva (born March 29, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter, and convicted sex offender. The self-described protégé of Francis Ford Coppola, he is best known for writing and directing the horror films Jeepers Creepers (2001), Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003), and Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017).

Salva's career has been controversial due to his 1988 conviction for sexually abusing Nathan Forrest Winters, the 12-year-old star of his debut feature film Clownhouse (1989), during its production; he also videotaped one of the encounters and was found to possess child pornography, though this was not publicized until 2006. Protests against his films soon followed, including boycotts organized by Winters. Despite this, he has continued to work in the industry and has made the films Powder (1995), Peaceful Warrior (2006), Rosewood Lane (2011), and Dark House (2014).

Early life

[edit]

Victor Ronald Salva was born in Martinez, California, on March 29, 1958.[1] He was raised Catholic.[2] His biological father abandoned the family, and he has said that his stepfather was a physically abusive alcoholic.[2] Salva was interested in horror and science fiction as a youngster; his favorite monster movie was Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the local newspaper reported in 1975 that the 17-year-old Salva had gone to the cinema to see Jaws 55 times.[3] His family disowned him when he came out as gay at age 18.[2] He was a childcare worker before becoming a filmmaker.[4]

Career

[edit]

By the time Salva graduated from high school, he had written and directed over 20 films, both short and feature-length. To finance his filmmaking hobby, he often held two jobs during the week.[5] His short horror film Something in the Basement (1986), an allegory about a young boy awaiting his brother's return from a bloody war, took first place in the fiction category at that year's Sony/AFI Home Video Competition. The highly acclaimed film went on to win several national awards (including a Bronze Plaque at the Chicago International Film Festival) and brought Salva to the attention of Francis Ford Coppola, who then agreed to produce Clownhouse (1989), the first theatrical feature film Salva wrote and directed. Coppola reportedly saw so much potential in Salva that he gave him the same cameras he had given George Lucas for the production of American Graffiti.[6] Salva would go on to describe himself as Coppola's protégé.[7]

Following his 1988 conviction for sexually abusing Nathan Forrest Winters, the 12-year-old star of Clownhouse, Salva took a hiatus after his release from prison in 1992; he worked as a telemarketer during the week and wrote scripts during the weekend, supposedly delivering them to well-known producers while posing as a delivery boy.[2] His next film came when he wrote and directed the direct-to-video mystery horror film The Nature of the Beast (1995). He reportedly based the film's characters on people he met in prison.[citation needed] He then wrote and directed his first major studio film, the fantasy drama film Powder (1995), about an albino boy with special powers that make him an outcast. At the time of the film's release, Salva's conviction became known to the public when Winters came forward and called for the film's boycott. Disney stated that they had been informed of Salva's crime only after production of Powder had begun.[4] Salva said, "This has followed me around ever since it happened, but once people meet me the phantoms go away and they realize I made a stupid mistake, years ago. [...] My past is going to follow me around for as long as people want to talk about it."[8]

Salva next wrote and directed the coming-of-age thriller film Rites of Passage (1999), which depicts a homophobic father who unwittingly pushes his gay son into the arms of a psychotic killer. He then wrote and directed Jeepers Creepers (2001), which Coppola executive produced; it became a breakout hit and set a record for the largest Labor Day box office ever.[9] He followed it up with Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003), again executive produced by Coppola. His next film was Peaceful Warrior (2006), an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical book Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman. The film depicts the emotional and physical trials of a young gymnast and his awakening under the tutelage of a mysterious spiritual guide. He then returned to the horror genre for his films Rosewood Lane (2011) and Dark House (2014).

Salva wrote, directed, and produced Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017), which drew controversy for incorporating a character who was the victim of child sexual abuse.[10] Dialogue that suggested justification for the abuse was later cut from the film.[11][12] Salva has described his films as "atmospheric and macabre, with no happy endings, but not to be taken totally seriously".[8]

Child sexual abuse

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Salva was convicted of sexual misconduct in 1988 for sexually abusing Nathan Forrest Winters, the 12-year-old star of Clownhouse, and videotaping one of the encounters in which he forced Winters to perform oral sex on him.[4] Commercial videotapes and magazines containing child pornography were also found in his home.[4] He pleaded guilty to lewd and lascivious conduct, oral sex with a person under 14, and procuring a child for pornography.[4][13] He was sentenced to three years in state prison, of which he served 15 months, and lifetime registration as a sex offender.[3] He completed his parole in 1992.[13] His mentor, Francis Ford Coppola, reportedly told him that his experience in prison "would have value" and "make [him] a better artist".[14] Winters later picketed Salva's film premieres and released a documentary detailing the abuse by Salva, which began when Winters was seven years old following a year of grooming.[15]

Filmography

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Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1986 Something in the Basement Yes Yes Yes Short film
1989 Clownhouse Yes Yes Yes
1995 The Nature of the Beast Yes Yes No
1995 Powder Yes Yes No
1999 Rites of Passage Yes Yes No
2001 Jeepers Creepers Yes Yes No
2003 Jeepers Creepers 2 Yes Yes No
2006 Peaceful Warrior Yes No No
2011 Rosewood Lane Yes Yes Yes
2014 Dark House Yes Yes Yes
2017 Jeepers Creepers 3 Yes Yes Yes

References

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  1. ^ "Sexual Offenders and Predators Search". Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Goldstein, Patrick (June 11, 2006). "Victor Salva's horror stories". Los Angeles Times. p. 3. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Pierce, Nev. "Getting Direct With Directors... No.12: Victor Salva". BBC. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e Welkos, Robert (October 25, 1995). "Disney Movie's Director a Convicted Child Molester: Hollywood: He says, 'I paid for my mistakes dearly', but victim of incident several years ago urges boycott of 'Powder'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  5. ^ "Victor Salva biography". Tribute Entertainment Media Group. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  6. ^ Kamal, Nathan (August 12, 2022). "A Controversial Jeff Goldblum Sci-Fi Film Is Streaming Now". Giant Freakin Robot. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  7. ^ Child, Ben (March 29, 2016). "Actors warned to avoid new horror film from convicted paedophile director Victor Salva". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Young, Neil (March 23, 2004). "Neil Young's Film Lounge - Victor Salva Interview". Neil Young's Film Lounge. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  9. ^ All Time Box Office – Top 4-Day Labor Day Opening Weekends: 1982–Present. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  10. ^ "Jeepers Creepers 3". IndieWire. 2017.
  11. ^ "Jeepers Creepers 3 Review". IGN. 2017.
  12. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (September 29, 2017). "'Jeepers Creepers 3' Director Victor Salva, Convicted Child Molester, Wrote Child Molestation Into New Film". The Wrap. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Gallagher, John (November 28, 1995). "A fairy-tale ending". The Advocate. p. 25. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  14. ^ Goldstein, Patrick (June 11, 2006). "Victor Salva's horror stories". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
  15. ^ Former Child Actor Nathan Forrest Winters - Full Interview. YouTube. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024.
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