It’s been brilliant seeing Guillermo del Toro‘s increasing influence and impact over the last 20 years, and so it’s great to hear that the BFI have announced all the info for their upcoming Guillermo del Toro season, taking place at the BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX throughout May!

As part of del Toro being awarded the BFI Fellowship, the celebration will include eight in-person appearances by del Toro with three introductions, four Q&As at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX and an In Conversation event on 8th May as a centrepiece to the season.

With his most recent creation, Frankenstein, fusing fantasy, fairy tales and politics, Guillermo del Toro also combines a deep humanism with a striking visual sensibility to elevate the artform. A visual artist closely associated with the gothic, horror and fantasy genres, del Toro frequently explores themes where his protagonists’ question and defy authority and often examines the nightmares of the past, often employing history to explore the traumatic passage from childhood to maturity.  

After establishing himself as one of the foremost artists in contemporary Mexican cinema with CRONOS, del Toro now ranks as one of the world’s most distinctive filmmakers of the modern era. Equally at home on Hollywood and Spanish-language productions, del Toro revels in the collaborative process, while his aesthetic sensibility is matched by his affinity for actors. Achieving critical acclaim and commercial success in equal measure, the highly decorated director is also known for his support of and passion for animation and, as an impassioned cinephile, his role in the restoration and preservation of Mexico’s rich cinematic legacy.

The BFI will award Guillermo del Toro his BFI Fellowship at the annual BFI Chair’s dinner, hosted by BFI Chair Jay Hunt, OBE in London on 6 May. Guillermo del Toro will visit the BFI National Archive on 5 May to take a close look at the national collection and the work of archivists and conservators at the Conservation Centre. FRANKENSTEIN, having just won 3 BAFTA Awards and 3 Academy Awards for Makeup and Hair Styling, Costume Design and Production Design, is a testament to del Toro’s artistic vision and how this vision permeates throughout each of his projects. del Toro will share his passion for these crafts and dive into the BFI’s Screencraft collections, including various original production and costume designs.

A highlight of the BFI retrospective season will be a special public event following his BFI Fellowship bestowal; GUILLERMO DEL TORO IN CONVERSATION at BFI Southbank on Friday 8 May, where the multi–BAFTA and Academy Award-winning filmmaker, one of the most distinctive voices in modern cinema, will be on stage at to discuss his long and illustrious career. Alongside a strong association with gothic, horror and fantasy, del Toro’s abiding passion for cinema history and commitment to animation are hallmarks of his filmography. At this richly illustrated event, he will talk about his work, process and incredible career. Following the In Conversation, del Toro will introduce a screening of his debut feature, CRONOS.

The director will also join us on 9 May to introduce his Best Picture Oscar-winner THE SHAPE OF WATER at BFI Southbank and for Q&As following screenings of CRIMSON PEAK at BFI Southbank and PACIFIC RIM at BFI IMAX. On 10 May he will return to introduce FRANKENSTEIN at BFI IMAX and for Q&As following screenings of PAN’S LABYRINTH and an event celebrating his hit animated show TALES OF ARCADIA at BFI Southbank.  In the season we are also presenting the original and director’s cut versions of MIMIC and NIGHTMARE ALLEY and the subsequently released black and white version, NIGHTMARE ALLEY: VISION OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT plus two of del Toro’s early Mexican shorts, GEOMETRIA and DOÑA LUPA.

As part of the celebration of Guillermo del Toro, BFI Distribution is re-releasing CRONOS (1992) in cinemas in the UK and Ireland from 15 May. Fresh and bracing, del Toro’s feature debut announced the arrival of a strikingly original cinematic voice. 

Antiques dealer Jesús Gris discovers an ancient mechanical scarab artefact but is unaware of the power it holds. While the parasite inside the device grants eternal life to its new host, it also causes an aversion to daylight and an unquenchable thirst for human blood. 

With its interest in family and the true nature of horror, CRONOS set a course for things to come in del Toro’s career. Inventively employing vampirism in its assessment of the relationship between the USA and Mexico, this darkly comic film remains a highlight within the filmmaker’s incredible body of work. The BFI previously released CRONOS on BFI Blu-ray, restored at 4K resolution using the original 35mm camera negative, with the supervision of director del Toro. 

UK-wide audiences will also have an opportunity to watch some of del Toro’s favourite films with an exclusive subscription collection, Guillermo del Toro Selects on BFI Player. The collection will present thirteen classic UK and international titles personally selected by del Toro including EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1960), NOSFERATU (1922), VIRIDIANA (1961), MEMORIES OF MURDER (2003), LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG ISLAND (1997) and LE BELE ET LA BETE (1946) to celebrate the BFI Season and BFI Fellowship. Guillermo del Toro Selects will be available to subscribers throughout the UK from May 2026.

Other events in the BFI season will include a 25 and Under Introduction to Guillermo del Toro on 13 May, a Guillermo del Toro themed Quiz on 27 May and a special Guillermo del Toro Sip and Paint on 23 May. Famously recording his art and ideas through beautifully illustrated notebooks, in this fun painting session audiences are invited to take inspiration from del Toro’s artistic vision to create their own masterpiece to take home. Acrylic paint and mini canvases will be provided. 

Look out for tickets here: whatson.bfi.org.uk