Guillermo Del Toro Talks Up Toronto As A Special Place To Make Movies

TORONTO — Guillermo del Toro has a soft spot for Toronto.

Ask why and the 52-year-old Mexican-born filmmaker lists off one reason after another.

“First of all, it’s a city that really likes film,” he said.

“You can feel film in Toronto and then you can make it in Toronto. The crews, the studios are fantastic,” he added. “The city office for film is amazing. It’s an incredibly friendly city for film.”

Del Toronto’s new film “The Shape of Water” was filmed in Toronto and Hamilton. “Mimic,” “Crimson Peak,” “Mama” and “Pacific Rim” were also made in the Toronto area.

Del Toro, who divides his time between Toronto and Los Angeles, runs a studio out of three adjacent apartments in the east end of Toronto.

He also points to good bookstores and great food in Toronto while praising the “very liberal and beautifully-minded” folk who call the city home.

“For me, as a Mexican, that makes a huge difference,” he said. “Me being Mexican in Toronto is a conversation-starter. Not a conversation-ender.”

Del Toro is featured in the new Art Gallery of Ontario exhibit: “Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters,” which opens Saturday and runs through Jan. 7.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press