Tag Archives: Pan’s Labyrinth

Guillermo del Toro Set to Take Part in “Visionaries” Conversation at Toronto International Film Festival

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Guillermo del Toro will be sharing his vision…

The 58-year-old Mexican Oscar-winning filmmaker and author will be making a special appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Guillermo del ToroFor this year’s 48th edition of the festival, del Toro is scheduled to take part in an onstage conversation as part of the Visionaries section.

del Toro, a three-time Academy Award winner, will focus his talk on the liberating potential of fantastical worlds; the magic thatexists within the details; and his wide-spanning career crafting intricate and cinematic love letters.

del Toro’s talk is made possible with the support of the Directors Guild of Canada.

del Toro’s award-winning projects include Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.

Previously, TIFF announced that Pedro Almodovar, who is already receiving a tribute at the fest, would be taking part in a sit down conversation.

All the sessions for TIFF’s Industry Conference which spans the programming of Visionaries, Dialogues, Perspectives, Connections, Microsessions and Spotlights, will take place at the Glenn Gould Studio.

“Our Industry Conference aims to be a pivotal platform for thought-provoking discussions by industry leaders,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “The sessions and speakers reflect our commitment to diverse perspectives and creative exploration towards sparking innovation within the industry.”

“This year’s event offers something for everyone, whether you are an emerging creator or experienced
producer, and its scale and curation supports our growing industry attendance,” said Geoff Macnaughton, Senior Director, Industry & Theatrical.

Here’s a look at this year’s Industry Conference participants:

VISIONARIES
Inspirational onstage conversations with individuals who are forging creative and business pathways in the industry. Speakers include:

● Spike Lee — An in-depth conversation discussing the process of forging a distinct filmic language throughout his expansive, multi-decade career.
● Ladj Ly — A discussion on his bold approach and unwavering commitment to telling stories that explore deeply personal portraits about communities revolting against broken systems.
● Guillermo del Toro — A conversation about the liberating potential of fantastical worlds; the magic that exists within the details; and his wide-spanning career crafting intricate and cinematic love letters. Made possible with the support of the Directors Guild of Canada.
● See-Saw Films — A celebratory talk on the company’s remarkable 15 years of delivering critically acclaimed stories to global audiences, including The King’s Speech, Lion, The Power of the Dog, and many more.
● Nadine Labaki — With more than a decade’s worth of accolades under her belt, director, writer, and actor Nadine Labaki will discuss her highly meticulous creative process, her devout interest in life’s peculiarities, and the capacity for cinema to bring about social change.
● Lucy Walker — A discussion on Doc Day, focusing on Walker’s incredible career, including her long friendship with Doc Society co-founder Jess Search, who died this summer. Programmed by Thom Powers.
● Anand Patwardhan — A talk on Doc Day with Patwardhan, a singular figure of independent documentary in India who has given inspiration to a flourishing of new directors today. Programmed by Thom Powers.

DIALOGUES
Conversations on the art and craft of storytelling, featuring screen-based creators (directors, producers, and series creators) and industry professionals. Dialogues sessions include:

● The Dead Don’t Hurt with Viggo Mortenson, Regina Solórzano, and Jeremy Thomas. Supported by Directors Guild of Canada Ontario.
● Feature Film Development with Sara Rastogi (Hoorae Media) and Kate Oh (Monkeypaw Productions).
● Directors Nora El Hourch (Sisterhood) and Katja Gauriloff (Je’vida). Programmed by Jason Ryle.
● Directors Cord Jefferson (American Fiction) and Lulu Wang (Expats).
● Producers Toufik Ayadi and Christophe Barral (Les Indésirables) and Farhana Bhula (How to Have Sex).
● Short Cuts to First Features with Fawzia Mirza and Andria Wilson Mirza (The Queen of My Dreams), Zarrar Kahn and Anam Abbas (In Flames). Programmed by Jason Anderson.
● What is the Documentary Marketplace Today? (Doc Day) A panel of industry figures analyze where opportunities still exist for creative documentaries. Programmed by Thom Powers.

PERSPECTIVES
Moderated and focused discussions on the current state and future of the industry. The Media Partner for Perspectives is Screen International. Perspective sessions include:

● AI and Film: Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Responsibility — Leading experts on AI discuss the technology’s long-term sustainability in the industry as it relates to data, ethics, and filmmaking. Programmed by Manal Siddiqui.
● The Current Landscape of International Series Production — Yi Qiao, Director Drama, ZDF; Navi Lamba, Head of Development, BBC Comedy; Jamie Lynn, EVP Co-Production & Distribution, Fremantle; and Joe Lewis, CEO, Amplify Pictures.
● Celebrating the Cinema of the Korean Diaspora — Guests include: outstanding filmmakers Anthony Shim (dir. Riceboy Sleeps), Albert Shin (dir. Disappearance at Clifton Hill, In Her Place), and Christina Oh (prod. Minari, Okja). Presented by The Korean Film Council.
● On African Cinemas and its Industries — Apolline Traoré (dir. Sira), Chioma Onyenwe (prod. I Do Not Come To You By Chance), Tshepiso Chikapa-Phiri (prod. Death of a Whistleblower), and Mehret Mandefro, Director of Development & Partnerships, Realness. Programmed by Nataleah Hunter-Young, International Programmer (Africa & Arab West Asia).
● Seize Control of Your Distribution (Doc Day) — Peter Broderick, who has spent decades helping independent filmmakers design and implement cutting-edge distribution strategies, returns with a new manifesto, along with case studies of documentary projects that made far-reaching impact and profits using strategies to build sustainable careers. Programmed by Thom Powers.
● DOC’s “Getting Real” Report (Doc Day) — The Documentary Organization of Canada will share their findings for the first time and explain why this latest edition of their “Getting Real” reports could be a game-changer for documentary filmmakers. Programmed by Thom Powers

Congressman Joaquin Castro Launches National Call for Latino Films to Nominate for National Film Library

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U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro is working to get more Latino films preserved…

The 48-year-old Mexican American politician, who has represented Texas’s 20th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013, has teamed up with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to launch a nationwide call for Latino films to nominate for the National Film Registry.

Joaquin CastroThe U.S.’s preeminent archive of films with cultural, historic or aesthetic significance is essential in preserving cinema. Every year, the Librarian of Congress adds 25 new movies to the registry after reviewing titles nominated by the public and conferring with National Film Preservation Board members and Library film curators.

As of 2023, there are 24 Latino films on the National Film Registry, less than three percent of the 850 movies in the registry.

“Since the earliest days of cinema, Latino actors, writers, directors, and creatives have made extraordinary contributions to American filmmaking,” said Congressman Castro. “As the Library of Congress works to preserve the films that shaped American culture, public nominations will put a spotlight on the Latino-driven films that have sold out theaters and defined generations. As we launch this year’s push for inclusion, I look forward to hearing from folks across America about the Latino films that have made an enduring impact on their lives.”

Most recently, the NFR added: “Cyrano de Bergerac” (1950), starring Puerto Rican actor José Ferrer, the first Latino ever to win an acting Oscar, and “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” (1982) with Edward James Olmos. Other notable inclusions are “West Side Story” (1961), “La Bamba” (1987), “Selena” (1997) and “Real Women Have Curves” (2002).

To be eligible, films must be at least 10 years old. To qualify for nominations to the Library of Congress, submissions must be received by August 3.

Some titles the Library of Congress might consider include Guillermo del Toro’s adult-fantasy drama Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Peter Sollet’s independent New York film Raising Victor Vargas (2002) and Alfonso Cuarón’s coming-of-age masterpiece Y tu mamá también (2002).

Suggestions may be submitted at Congressman Castro’s website.

Guillermo del Toro Wins BAFTAs Best Animated Film Prize for “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio”

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Guillermo del Toro continues his winning ways…

The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) have been doled out, with the 58-year-old Mexican Oscar-winning filmmaker taking home a prize on Sunday night.

Guillermo del Toro, Pinocchio,del Toro won the Best Animated Film award for his critically acclaimed Netflix film Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio.

It’s del Toro’s third BAFTA award. He’d previously won the Best Film Not in the English Language award for Pan’s Labyrinth and the Best Direction prize for The Shape of Water.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Best Film: All Quiet On The Western Front
Leading Actress: Cate Blanchett, Tár 
Leading Actor: Austin Butler, Elvis
EE Rising Star Award:  Emma Mackey
Make Up & Hair: Elvis, Jason Baird, Mark Coulier, Louise Coulston, Shane Thomas
Director: Edward Berger, All Quiet On The Western Front 
Production Design: Babylon, Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino
Outstanding British Film: The Banshees Of Inisherin
British Short Animation: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse, Peter Baynton, Charlie Mackesy, Cara Speller, Hannah Minghella
British Short Film: An Irish Goodbye, Tom Berkeley, Ross White
Costume Design: Elvis, Catherine Martin
Sound: All Quiet On The Western Front, Lars Ginzsel, Frank Kruse, Viktor Prášil, Markus Stemler
Original Score: All Quiet On The Western Front, Volker Bertelmann
Documentary: Navalny 
Special Visual Effects: Avatar: The Way Of Water, Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon
Original Screenplay: The Banshees Of Inisherin, Martin Mcdonagh
Animated Film: Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio
Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer :Aftersun, Charlotte Wells (Writer/Director)
Cinematography: All Quiet On The Western Front, James Friend
Editing: Everything Everywhere All At Once, Paul Rogers
Casting: Elvis, Nikki Barrett, Denise Chamia
Film Not In The English Language: All Quiet On The Western Front
Supporting Actor: Barry Keoghan, The Banshees Of Inisherin 
Adapted Screenplay: All Quiet On The Western Front, Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell
Supporting Actress: Kerry Condon, The Banshees Of Inisherin

Guillermo del Toro to Receive Art Directors Guild’s William Cameron Menzies Award

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Guillermo del Toro is receiving a special honor…

The Art Directors Guild will present the 58-year-old Mexican Oscar-winning filmmaker with the William Cameron Menzies Award, to honor his visually striking and emotionally rich body of work.

Guillermo del Toro, Pinocchio,del Toro will receive the award at the 27th ADG’s Excellence in Production Design Awards on Saturday, February 18 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.

Del Toro first gained recognition for writing and directing Cronos, which premiered at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Mercedes Benz Award, and went on to earn more than 20 international awards. Del Toro’s most noted films include Pan’s Labyrinth, which garnered Academy Awards for Art Direction, Cinematography, and Makeup and The Shape of Water, which won the Venice International Film Festival’s Golden Lion as well as Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Production Design and Best Score. His latest project, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, continues his lifelong love of animation and stop-motion filmmaking. Additional credits include The Devil’s Backbone, Hellboy, Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak and Nightmare Alley.

del Toro is also a prolific producer of animated films and television. Among his EP credits are Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3, Puss in Boots 1 and 2, and Rise of the Guardians; his producing credits include The Book of Life.

Past recipients of the Menzies award include Robert Osborne, John Musker and Ron Clements, Syd Mead, and Denis Villeneuve.

“Guillermo del Toro has stunningly brought humanity to non-human characters and full-fledged existence to environments which could be seen as devoid of life by integrating strong narrative imagery into his collaborations with production designers,” said Coates. “The Art Directors Guild is thrilled to celebrate his captivating work, which has indelibly pushed the bounds of production design to new heights.”

Netflix Releases Official Trailer for “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

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Here’s your first look at Guillermo del Toro’s take on the classic Pinocchio tale.

Netflix has released the official trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio from the 58-year-old Mexican Oscar-winning filmmaker ahead of its December 9 premiere on the streaming service after its run in select theaters.

Guillermo del Toro, Pinocchio,The del Toro imprint is fully evident in the trailer for the film, which takes the classic Carlo Collodi fairy tale and sets it in Mussolini’s Italy.

The stop-motion animation, which he co-directed with Mark Gustafson, lends itself to del Toro’s eye for detail, from its storyline tweaks, creatures with hints of Pan’s Labyrinth and carnival scenes that would have felt at home in Nightmare Alley.

It all serves the plot, which finds lonely Geppetto, a broken man after the death of his son, carving a new boy out of wood who is suddenly brought to life. David Bradley voices Geppetto, and Gregory Mann is Pinocchio. Ewan McGregor handled narrator duties as the voice of Jiminy Cricket.

The voice cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson and Burn Gorman.

Patrick McHale penned the screenplay for the film.

Pinocchio has been on the festival circuit since world premiering last month at the BFI London Film.

Mexico Enters Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s “Bardo” Into Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film Race

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Alejandro G. Iñárritu is back in the Oscar race…

Mexico has selected the 59-year-old Mexican five-time Academy Award winner’s Bardo as its official entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar race.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, BardoThe immersive work stars Daniel Giménez Cacho as a renowned Los Angeles-based Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker who, after being named the recipient of a prestigious international award, is compelled to return to his native country, unaware that this simple trip will push him to an existential limit.

The film had its world premiere in its three-hour original version in competition at the Venice Film Festival in early September.

Netflix recently dropped a trailer for the film, which opens theatrically in Mexico on October 27, followed by a limited theatrical release in the U.S., Spain and Argentina on November 4 before rolling out in a global expansion on November 18.

The film will debut December 1 on Netflix.

The work reunites Iñárritu with a number of his longtime collaborators including co-writer Nicolás Giacobone, who also took credits on Birdman and Biutiful.

Bardo — whose full title is Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths — marks Iñárritu’s first film to be shot in Mexico since Amores Perros, which also represented Mexico at the Academy Awards and was nominated in 2000.

The film also features production design by the designer Eugenio Caballero, who previously won an Academy Award for his work on Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth and Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma, and costume design by Anna Terrazas (The Deuce, Roma).

Outside of the best international film category and its foreign language predecessor, Iñárritu previously won Oscars for Carne y Arena (2018), The Revenant (2016) and Birdman (2015) and was nominated for Babel (2007).

Mexico has garnered eight nominations to date with Roberto Gavaldón’s Macario (1960), Ismael Rodriguez’s The Important Man (1961), Luis Alcoriza’s The Pearl Of Tiayucan (1963), Miguel Litten’s Letters Of Marusia (1975), Iñárritu’s Amores Perros (2000), Carlos Carrera’s El Crimen del Padre Amaro (2002), Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and Iñárritu’s Biutiful (2010).

Cuaron won the country its only Oscar in the category with Roma in 2018.

Netflix Releases Trailer for the Upcoming Anthology Series “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities”

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Guillermo del Toro is sharing some scary stories.

Netflix has revealed the first trailer for “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities,” an upcoming anthology series created by the 57-year-old Mexican Oscar-winning director of The Shape of Water and Pan’s Labyrinth.

Guillermo del ToroEach episode will tell a different horror story “curated” by del Toro, who hosts the series and introduces each episode.

Two of the episodes feature stories developed by del Toro, with different writers and directors taking on each episode.

Notable directors and writers who will contribute to the series include Jennifer Kent, David Pryor, Guillermo Navarro, Keith Thomas, Panos Cosmatos, Catherine Hardwicke, Vincenzo Natali and Ana Lily Amirpour (“A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night”).

The teaser shows a series of unsettling images, and reveals the cast list for the episodes.

Alongside previously announced names like Ben Barnes, Essie Davis, Crispin Glover and Andrew Lincoln, the teaser confirms that Eric André, Sofia Boutella, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Rupert Grint, Kate Micucci and Charlyne Yi will star in episodes of the show’s first season.

Other actors who were previously announced include F. Murray Abraham, Luke Roberts, Tim Blake Nelson, Hannah Galway, Glynn Turman, Elpidia Carrillo, Demetrius Grosse, Sebastian Roché, Peter Weller and David Hewlett.

Del Toro serves as co-showrunner of “Cabinet of Curiosities” with J. Miles Dale. The two executive produce alongside Gary Ungar. Regina Corrado co-executive produces.

A release date for “Cabinet of Curiosities” has not yet been announced.

Guillermo del Toro to Receive VES Award for Creative Excellence from Visual Effects Society

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Guillermo del Toro is being celebrated for his creative genius…

The 57-year-old Mexican Oscar-winning film director, producer, screenwriter and author will receive the Visual Effects Society’s career honor next month.

Guillermo del Torodel Toro, a two-time Oscar winner for The Shape of Water — whose credits also include such effect-laden films as Pan’s Labyrinth, Blade II and the Pacific Rim and Hellboy films — will pick up the VES Award for Creative Excellence during the 20th anniversary VES Awards on March 8 at the Beverly Hilton.

“Guillermo is a fiercely inventive storyteller, who has pushed the boundaries of filmmaking,” VES Board Chair Lisa Cooke said. “An exemplary talent, he has consistently elevated not just the technical aspect of visual effects but also the emotional.”

Del Toro is up for the Best Picture Academy Award again this year for Nightmare Alley, his reimagining of the gritty 1947 noir Nightmare Alley. 

The film starring Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett has four total Oscar nominations and will vie for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature at the VES Awards.

Along with his writing and directing credits, del Toro also is a prolific producer of such acclaimed and successful films as The Orphanage, Julia’s Eyes, Biutiful, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots and Mama. 

He studied makeup effects with legendary artist Dick Smith; spent 10 years as a special-effects makeup designer; and formed his own company, Necropia.

The VES Award for Creative Excellence recognizes individuals who’ve made significant and lasting contributions to the art and science of the visual effects industry by uniquely and consistently creating compelling and creative imagery in service to story, per the group.

“Guillermo is an amazing creative force and a defining voice in our global community, and his body of work is a rich source of inspiration for future generations of artists and innovators,” Cooke added.

Maribel Verdú Starring in Apple Studios’ “Raymond and Ray” 

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Maribel Verdú is providing care…

The 51-year-old Spanish actress has been cast in Apple Studios’ Raymond and Ray alongside Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo.

Maribel Verdú,

Verdu and Okonedo join a cast that includes Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke.

The Rodrigo García-directed and written feature, which is currently filming in Virginia, follows half-brothers Raymond (McGregor) and Ray (Hawke) who have lived in the shadow of a terrible father. Somehow, they still each have a sense of humor, and his funeral is a chance for them to reinvent themselves. There’s anger, there’s pain, there’s folly, there might be love, and there’s definitely grave-digging.

Verdú will star as Lucia, a partner and caretaker to Raymond and Ray’s father. Her character is described as one having the innate strength and alluring personality that will mend the broken family in the wake of the father’s death.

Verdú , an 11-time Goya Award nominee and two-time winner, starred in Y tu mamá también and Pan’s Labyrinth. 

Raymond and Ray is produced by Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón, Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn, who’ll produce through their Mockingbird Pictures.

Rosie Perez to Star in Apple TV+’s Bilingual Thriller Drama Series “Now and Then”

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Rosie Perez is ready to thrill…

The 56-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar-nominated actress and activist has been cast in Apple TV+’s bilingual thriller Now and Then, a drama series that’ll be shot in Spanish and English.

Rosie Perez

In addition to Perez, who most recently appeared in The Flight Attendant and Birds of Prey, the stellar ensemble cast also includes Marina de Tavira (Roma), José María Yazpik (Narcos: Mexico), Maribel Verdú (Y tu mamá también, Pan’s Labyrinth), Manolo Cardona (Who Killed Sara?), Soledad Villamil (The Secret in their Eyes) and Željko Ivanek.

The series that hails from Bambú Producciones and creators Ramón Campos, Teresa Fernández-Valdés and Gema R. Neira, the team behind the Spanish series Velvet, Cable Girls and Gran Hotel. Gideon Raff will executive produce and direct the first two episodes.

Set in Miami, Now and Then explores the differences between youthful aspirations and the reality of adulthood, when the lives of a group of college best friends are forever changed after a celebratory weekend ends up with one of them dead. Now, 20 years later, the remaining five are reluctantly reunited by a threat that puts their seemingly perfect worlds at risk.

De Tavira will play Ana, a smart and ambitious woman who put her political career on hold to support her husband’s.

Perez is Flora, a talented detective obsessed with an unresolved case from 20 years ago, who will stop at nothing to discover the truth.

Yazpik portrays Pedro, a complex politician married to Ana, he feels entangled in a life that doesn’t belong to him.

Verdu plays Sofia, a strong self-made lawyer who’s life took an unexpected turn 20 years ago and is now hiding too many secrets.

Cardona portrays Marcos, a passionate surgeon who sacrificed his dreams for his family and friends.

Villamil is Daniela, an introspective artist who constantly struggles to overcome a traumatic event from her past.

Ivanek plays Sullivan, seasoned detective who keeps his partner Flora from getting into too much trouble, always operates based on evidence and logic.

The series will be written by Neira and Campos with their team. Campos and Fernández-Valdés will serve as showrunners. Bambú Producciones will produce for Apple TV+.