Nava graduated from St. Augustine High School in San Diego and attended film school at UCLA where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in 1976. At UCLA he directed the short film The Journal of Diego Rodriguez Silva (based on the life of García Lorca), and for this work, won the Best Dramatic Film Award at the National Student Film Festival.
Nava graduated from St. Augustine High School in San Diego and attended film school at UCLA, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1976. During his time at UCLA, he directed the short film "The Journal of Diego Rodriguez Silva," which was based on the life of García Lorca, and won the Best Dramatic Film Award at the National Student Film Festival for this work.