Born on November 4, 1975, in the suburban outskirts of Mexico City, where he was raised in a conservative family. Despite his early struggles, he managed to attend and get suspended from several of the most renowned schools in town. However, he cleverly tricked his way into Universidad Iberoamericana, where he completed his Communications Studies with a minor in Film.
After making a name for himself with his infamous short film, Salim chilim tecohidimm (2002),and a string of unsuccessful pornographic features featuring himself as the only cast member, Mr. Santi, as he is known to his friends, landed a job as a third Assistant Director in The Tiger of Santa Julia (2002). From then on, he continued his career behind the cameras, avoiding any creative decisions on numerous features and short films.
His encounter with John Sayles, whom he met while shooting _Casa de Los Babys (2003)_, had a profound impact on him. Inspired by Sayles' work, Santiago decided to turn his life around, leaving behind his romance with psychedelic drugs and enrolling in the cheapest film school he could find for a couple of years. But beware, because he promised to return with a vengeance.
