With director Alejandro González Iñárritu planned to make 11 shorts showing the contradictions of Mexico City but after three years and 36 drafts, they ended up expanding three stories into a feature length film titled “Amores Perros”

Wrote “Amores Perros,” a gritty look at the underbelly of Mexican life, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu

Again collaborated with Iñárritu for “21 Grams” starring Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts and Sean Penn; received a BAFTA nomination for Best Screenplay

Penned the screenplay for “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” a drama directed by Tommy Lee Jones

Scripted "Babel," the third collaboration with Iñárritu and final film in a trilogy with a theme of death; however, friction between writer and director led González Iñarritu banning Arriaga from attending the 2006 Cannes screening of "Babel"; received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay

Produced a film version of his novel "Buffalo of the Night"; premiered at Sundance in 2007