Guillermo del Toro warned filmmakers that dismissing art often signals authoritarian thinking while accepting honours at Palm Springs festival events. He urged emerging directors to trust creativity, stay engaged and resist claims that art no longer matters in contemporary society.
Del Toro argued that efforts to trivialise art aim to erode humanity, empathy and cultural imagination across modern societies worldwide. The director received the Directing Award for Frankenstein during Variety’s Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards brunch.
Other honourees included Dwayne Johnson for The Smashing Machine and Teyana Taylor for her breakthrough performance in One Battle After Another.
Del Toro recalled watching James Whale’s ‘Frankenstein’ as a spiritual experience that shaped his lifelong connection with monsters and cinema.
He said monsters help explain complex realities when society feels confusing, divided and emotionally overwhelming during uncertain political moments.
Addressing ambition, del Toro told filmmakers that failure sits close to success and creative risk remains essential for meaningful cinema.
He added that ideas matter more than screen size, encouraging directors to pursue bold personal visions without fear or compromise.
Del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’, starring Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth, premiered worldwide on Netflix in October last year.
