Guillermo del Toro will be honored with the BFI Fellowship, the highest accolade given by the British Film Institute, in May 2026 at the BFI Chair’s dinner. This recognition celebrates del Toro’s influential career and highlights his unique artistry, making the Guillermo del Toro BFI Fellowship a significant milestone for both the filmmaker and the film community.
Celebrating Del Toro’s Impact on Cinema
The BFI decision acknowledges del Toro’s remarkable achievements as a director known for both animation and live-action features. His ability to blend elements from folklore, literature, religion, and comic books into atmospheric tales has made him a standout figure in the world of film. According to a press statement, he is recognized for his
“extraordinary contribution to film and the distinctive artistry that runs through his work across animation and live action, and as a Mexican filmmaker, in both Spanish and English.”
The BFI notes,
“Fusing dark horror and gothic fantasy, drawing on folklore, fairytales, literature, sci-fi, religion and comic books, del Toro creates lavish fantastical cinematic worlds and characters, often monsters and creatures, of deep emotional complexity.”
Commemorative Events and Film Retrospective
Guillermo del Toro will participate in various events as part of this recognition. He is set to join a public conversation reflecting on his career at BFI Southbank and will have a retrospective showcase of his films. Further enhancing the festivities, he will curate his own film season at the BFI and conduct several masterclasses for emerging filmmakers as part of the BFI Academy. A newly restored 4K edition of his debut film, “Cronos,” from 1992, will be reissued, and del Toro will also visit the BFI National Archive to mark the occasion.
Honors and Reflections from Del Toro and BFI Leadership
Expressing his gratitude, Guillermo del Toro shared,
“This is the honor of a lifetime and a thrilling moment in a storyteller’s life: to join a rarefied pantheon and to be recognized by the BFI,”
as noted in his statement. He continued,
“I have been greatly influenced by British film and have enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration with great talent on both sides of the camera going back decades. I thank everyone at the BFI for this great distinction. I will endeavor myself to work hard to prove myself worthy of their faith in me.”
— Guillermo del Toro, Director
BFI chair Jay Hunt highlighted del Toro’s legacy and ongoing relationship with the institute, stating,
“Guillermo del Toro is an extraordinary filmmaker with a long relationship with the BFI who has consistently championed British talent. His collaborations here speak to the strength of our wider screen industries and the skilled people who power them. His body of work is instantly recognisable as boldly imaginative and fantastical. In awarding a BFI Fellowship to Guillermo del Toro, we recognize his remarkable contribution to cinema and the inspiration and magic he has brought to filmmakers and audiences here and around the world.”
— Jay Hunt, BFI Chair
Joining a Distinguished Circle of Film Icons
By receiving the BFI Fellowship, del Toro becomes part of an illustrious group whose members include Christopher Nolan, Tom Cruise, Spike Lee, Tilda Swinton, Martin Scorsese, Orson Welles, and Elizabeth Taylor. This award emphasizes the global and cross-cultural impact of his artistry, acknowledging his works’ influence on filmmakers, audiences, and creative talent alike.
Looking ahead, the Guillermo del Toro BFI Fellowship will foster further engagement between the celebrated filmmaker and the UK’s film industry, inspiring the next generation and honoring his commitment to bold, imaginative cinema.
