In 1995, the boy he molested (then in his 20s) publicly boycotted the
film Powder (1995) to bring attention to Salva's sexual misdeeds,
which contributed to the film's less-than-stellar box office.
Is a convicted child molester. In 1988 he confessed to five felony counts
of sexual relations with a 12-year-old boy who he videotaped in
sexual situations. Salva spent a year in state prison for the crimes.
His biological father abandoned the family and Salva stated that his stepfather was often drunk and physically abusive.
Grew up watching Creature Features (1971) on TV. This sparked his early interest in
the horror/thriller genre.
Describes his films as "atmospheric and macabre, with no happy endings, but not to be taken totally seriously".
Grew up in San Francisco.
By the time he graduated from high school, he had written and directed more than 20 short and feature films,to finance his filmmaking hobby, he often held two jobs during the week.