Chilean director Nicolas Lopez first came to Austin in 2005 for SXSW with his feature film Promedio Rojo in tow. That film was about a fictional comic-book nerd named Roberto Rodriguez who vies for the attention of the hot new girl at school while trying to bolster his self esteem. While Lopez was in town, he convinced producer Elizabeth Avellan (producing partner and ex-wife of the real-life filmmaker Robert Rodriguez) to watch the movie, and she liked it so much that she agreed to have the studio work on the CGI effects for his next feature. That film ended up being Santos, which is another tribute to geekery. It’s about a lowly comic-book nerd who grows up to become a successful comic book artist, and actually finds out that the heroes he’s been creating are real –– and that he has superpowers himself. It’s like Galaxy Quest for the comic-book set. In our full interview with Lopez from Fantastic Fest, learn why he makes his stars gain weight for their roles, why Santos had to be an international co-production, and why he wants to be the Chilean George Lucas.

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