Rafael Eligio Portas López (12/1/1897 – 5/11/1975), better known simply as Rafael E. Portas, was a Mexican director, producer, journalist, author, and editor of the first encyclopedia of Mexican cinema. He completed all his studies at Colegio Mascarones in Mexico. In 1915, he enrolled in the first year of Law at the Faculty of Jurisprudence in Mexico City, a program he later abandoned to join the armed forces defending the Port of Veracruz. Some time later, he left that military group to join the Villista army, where he remained until 1917. After ending his military career, and captivated by cinema and acting, in 1918 he organized amateur theater groups in which he not only served as coordinator but also performed as an actor.